Glögg

Do you have a favorite holiday beverage?

Glögg is based on a simple ratio: one part each vodka, port, and red wine. Add spices, orange peel and heat. After heating, garnish the individual servings with slivered almonds and raisins. You can substitute other fortified wines or use brandy—but I think vodka, port and red wine work best. As far as quality goes, one step above the bottom for the vodka and port is fine—as long as the vodka isn’t in danger of melting through the plastic, you’re probably ok. The wine should be drinkable and maybe a little fruity, but nothing special.

While you heat the mixture slowly, the smell will fill the house or apartment—partly because some of the alcohol evaporates as it heats. Glögg itself has a wonderful, adult, spicy, winey, citrusy holiday aroma and flavor. As the evening goes on, the glögg gets less boozy—which is a good thing. It never loses its potency, though, and should at all times be treated with respect.

My wife and I use Marcus Samuelsson’s Glögg recipe (again from Saveur): http://www.saveur.com/article/Wine-and-Drink/Glogg

The recipe is not inviolate; you can alter it to your taste. If there are other spices you think would work, add them in small amounts. Ginger and peppercorns come to mind. I would not add too much cinnamon though—it is important, but can overwhelm.