Glühwein
Germany's iconic hot mulled wine: red wine gently simmered with orange, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise until fragrant and warming. The definitive cold-weather drink.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 3 tbsp honey or sugar, to taste
- Optional: 2 oz brandy or rum for extra warmth
Instructions
- 1Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 2Warm gently for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally — do not boil, or the alcohol will cook off.
- 3Taste and adjust sweetness with more honey or sugar as needed.
- 4Ladle into mugs through a fine strainer and serve immediately, garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.
Origin & Story
Spiced hot wine has roots stretching back to ancient Rome, but Glühwein — whose name means 'glow wine,' a reference to the heated iron rods once used to warm it — reached its modern form in 19th-century Germany and Austria. It became inseparable from the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) tradition, served in ceramic mugs at outdoor stalls across Central Europe from late November through December. Today it is one of the most recognized seasonal drinks in the world, the smell of it — cinnamon, clove, orange — practically synonymous with a European winter market.
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