Glögg

Here's a tasty brew to help warm you up on those cold winter nights, that are happening somewhere, just not here in North Carolina.  It's a traditional Swedish Christmas drink that I used to hear about all the time when I was in college.  The grandmother of my Swedish-descended roommates used to make it every year when they went home for the holidays.  This is not a recipe for the feint-of-heart or teetotalers in the crowd, but for the rest of us...sheer bliss.

Glögg

2-1/4 cups port
2-1/4 cups red wine
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 small piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces
6 whole cloves
1/2 orange peel
1 tsp ground cardamon (or 6 cardamon pods)
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional)
1 cup brandy
cheesecloth

In a medium pot, combine port, red wine, water and sugar over low heat.

Cut a large double-thick square of cheesecloth.  Put the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and cardamon in the center.

this is what I mean by "small" piece

Wrap into a ball (or tie with string).  Beat the ball with a mallet.  Bruising the spices help release their flavors as it steeps.

Put spice ball in the wine mix and add in raisins and almonds (if you'd like) and simmer just below boiling for 20-25 minutes.  I set my burner between 4-5 on the dial to get it just below boiling.

Once the mixture has simmered, remove the spice ball, add in the brandy, and strain out the raisins and almonds (if you put them in) and serve.  Toasty warm belly goodness on its way.

NOTES


Since you can't really get cardamon pods in your regular grocery store, I used ground cardamon.  To keep the spice from getting loose and scumming the surface of the mixture, I cut another small double-thick piece of cheesecloth. I put the spice in the middle and then cigarette-rolled it and put the rolled bundle in the middle of the spice pack.  That way the spice would still get steeped, but would be hard-pressed to escape.


I included the raisins and almonds because that's what the majority of the traditional recipes called for.  You won't compromise the flavor by omitting them.  I set mine aside to use as an adult garnish on my next bowl of Irish oatmeal...num.

I apologize for the miniscule font on the post (if it comes out looking miniscule on your screen too).  I cut and pasted something in a different font and it's screwed up something and I'm too tired and computer-illiterate to try and figure it out tonight.  Sunday's post should be back to font normal. :)