Old-Fashioned Swedish Glögg

Glögg is a fragrant Swedish spiced wine punch spiked with whiskey and rum. You'll feel the heat when you serve this mulled wine for the holidays!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 4 whole cloves
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle white rum
• 1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
• 5 (750 milliliter) bottles port wine
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle 100 proof bourbon whiskey
• 1 (3 inch) strip of orange peel
• 3 whole cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 (8 inch) square of cheesecloth
• 1 (15 ounce) package dark raisins
• 1 (6 ounce) package blanched slivered almonds
• 0.75 cup white sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat port wine in a large stockpot with a lid over medium heat until just below the simmering point. Add bourbon and rum; heat until just below simmering. Save the bottles and their caps for storing leftover glögg.

Step 2

Strain cooled glögg and reserve the raisins and almonds.

Step 3

Meanwhile, place cinnamon stick, orange peel, cloves, and cardamom pods in the center of the cheesecloth square. Gather edges of the cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to secure; set aside.

Step 4

When wine mixture is very hot but not boiling, carefully light it with a long-handled match. Wearing a heatproof cooking mitt, carefully pour sugar into the flames; let mixture burn for 1 minute. Place the lid on the stockpot to extinguish the flames and turn off the heat. Let mixture cool, covered, about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Add the cheesecloth spice bundle, raisins, and almonds to warm wine mixture; let it cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Step 6

To serve: Pour glögg into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until hot but not simmering, about 5 minutes. Ladle 3 ounces of warmed glögg into a small coffee cup or a small Swedish-style glögg mug, and garnish each serving with a few reserved raisins and almonds.