I now live in northern Europe and have for quite a few years. One of the things that is an absolute favorite around Christmas is a hot glog. I had it at the Christmas Market the first time and afterwards, I tried a few different recipes, landing on this one. The addition of an Orange or Cherry Liquor is a fun twist.
Glog or Glogi
3 L red wine
1.5 L Spiced Rum
900g sugar +/- depending upon sweetness of wine
Optional: .5L orange or cherry liquor (note that this will decrease the sugar requirements)
6 Tablespoons Raisins
10Cardamon pods
10-15 cloves
2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
3 dried orange peel
1-2 pieces dried ginger pieces
Warm everything to 80c and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover for 1-5 hours to steep. Strain to remove all the spices. Bottle.
Serve warm with additions of coconut, peanuts, smoked almonds, raisins.
Notes:
The amount of spices does not need to be increased if you use up to 3 Liters of wine. More than 3 L, then add additional spices.
Rum can be replaced with your favorite liquor – brandy, regular rum, vodka. Whiskey can work if a mild and blended version (Ballentine’s, for example, would be a good choice).
The amount of sugar depends upon the maker — how sweet is the wine? How sweet do you prefer it? I like it a bit less sweet personally.
If dried ginger cannot be found, use just raw ginger but use only 2cm slice.
Dried orange peels are easy to make. Either peel an orange and place into a warm oven until hard, or use a dehydrator. Also mandarin/tangerine works equally well.
The pictures here are from 2022 but we make this every year. In 2023, we will swap out orange liquor for cherry for a different flavor profile.
