Saturday, February 5, 2011

How to make Gluehwein



There are 6 feet high piles of snow everywhere, but one of the perks of warming up in winter is drinking Gluehwein. Gluehwein is a German mulled red wine, which literally means "wine that makes you hot like a hot iron rod".... It definitely lifts temperature and spirits in the very cold season...... Similar idea like a Sangria, just served hot.

Gluehwein
1 bottle of red wine (a Barefoot cabernet or even the new Barefoot Sweet Red work very well; for the Sweet Red leave out the sugar)
1/2 TB mulling spices (ca. 5 cloves, 1/2 stick of cinnamon, 1-2 cardamon pods, dried orange zest)
2 TB sugar
3 TB spiced brown rum (like Captain Morgan, or I use a very famous Austrian spiced rum, Strohrum)
1 orange



Pour the entire bottle of wine in a large enough pot, and heat the wine slowly. Add the mulling spices, the sugar and the rum, and stir. Discard the rind-only ends of the orange, and cut it in half, and then into quarters. Thinly slice the orange, and add to the gluehwein. Heat, but don't boil. Once it is heated, stir, and put on a low simmer to keep it hot. Serve hot in a cup with some of the orange slices! Keep warm!