Glögg

The story

Glögg is the Swedish version of mulled wine, but it differs from German Glühwein in that it is often served with a small handful of blanched almonds and raisins in the bottom of the cup, to be eaten with a little spoon once the drink is gone — a small dessert inside the drink. The spice mixture (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, orange peel) is left to steep in the wine, or in some families in brandy or vodka, for days or weeks before serving, so the aroma has time to permeate the liquid completely. There is also a nonalcoholic version for children, just as heavily spiced, served with the same ceremony. In Sweden glögg is drunk at Christmas markets (julmarknader), in cups that warm the hands in the cold December air, and it is one of the rare moments when the whole street, and not just the home, feels festive. For the diaspora, making glögg at home — with real spices, not from a packet — is one of the simpler and most fragrant ways to make the whole house feel like a Swedish Christmas before a guest even walks through the door.