Glögg (Swedish Mulled Wine)

Fragrant with citrus and spice, this Scandinavian winter warmer is just the thing for the holidays.

Serves
8–10
Time
2 hours 30 minutes

PHOTO: MURRAY HALL • FOOD STYLING: THU BUSER

Updated on December 20, 2024

This mulled wine recipe was developed by chef Marcus Jernmark when he was at Aquavit in New York City as part of the restaurant’s traditional Julbord, or Christmas table, spread. “Glögg is one of those things where every family has their own recipe,” says Jernmark. “And there are trends—one year it’s white, one year it’s red, one year there’s dark rum, one year there’s vodka.” This version, to his mind, is close to the Platonic ideal of spiced wine, with brown sugar, dried fruits, aromatic spices, and Indonesian long pepper—not as unusual a Scandinavian ingredient as it might sound. “Long peppers were one of the first things that Sweden brought back” when the Dutch East India Company established trade in 1602, Jenmark notes. “It’s been used in Scandinavian cuisine for a long time.”

Since glögg mixes wine with many, many other ingredients, Jernmark advises against using a particularly nice bottle. “You’re totally destroying the wine,” he says. “Obviously you shouldn’t use a defective wine, but a cheap red is fine.” He prefers a cabernet. Serve your glögg as they do in Sweden—with blanched almonds and raisins on the side to spoon into your glass or mug, plus a plate of buttery, fragrant pepparkakor or gingersnaps.

Ingredients

Two 750-ml bottles dry red wine
1½ cups port wine
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 cup vodka
4 oz. dried figs, sliced
4 oz. raisins, plus more for serving
7 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
4 Indonesian long peppers
3 cinnamon sticks
2 oranges, zest peeled into wide strips, then juiced
2 star anise pods
Blanched almonds and pepparkakor or gingersnaps, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

To a large pot, add the wine, port, sugar, vodka, figs, raisins, cardamom, cloves, long peppers, cinnamon, orange strips and juice, and star anise and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Set aside to macerate for 2 hours, then strain and discard the solids.

Step 2

When ready to serve, reheat the glӧgg and ladle into glasses or mugs. Serve with blanched almonds, raisins, and pepparkakor or gingersnaps on the side.

To a large pot, add the wine, port, sugar, vodka, figs, raisins, cardamom, cloves, long peppers, cinnamon, orange strips and juice, and star anise and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Set aside to macerate for 2 hours, then strain and discard the solids.
When ready to serve, reheat the glӧgg and ladle into glasses or mugs. Serve with blanched almonds, raisins, and pepparkakor or gingersnaps on the side.