German Glühwein – (German Mulled Red Wine)

This German mulled wine is a classic Christmas beverage. Perfect for serving at dinner parties during the holiday season, enjoyed while wrapping presents, or simply on a cold day. This particular German glühwein recipe is spiced with cinnamon, oranges, cloves, and black tea. It’s guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit, and make your home smell like Christmas!

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What is glühwein?

So what exactly is glühwein? While it may sound exotic, it is nothing more then red wine steeped with various whole spices. It is often also flavored with citrus and other ingredients. Since it is most often served warm or hot, glühwein is usually enjoyed on a cold winter day, and can often be found for sale at Christmas markets across Europe.

Depending on where in Europe you are, mulled wine beverages are called glogg(in Norway and Sweden), vin chaud (in France and Switzeland), or glintvein (in Russia and Ukraine).

The most popular spices used to flavor mulled wines include classic holiday flavors such as cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Other ingredients are then added to create a variety of flavor variations. For example ingredients such as cranberries, raisins, brandy, black tea, and vanilla bean all make excellent additions.

Is there really a difference between ‘glühwein’ and ‘mulled wine’?

Since both names simply refer to ‘red wine gently cooked with spices’, there is no real difference between the two. One is simply the German term for it, while the other is the English. Of course there are many regional differences between recipes, so while German glühwein and mulled wine are technically the same beverage, individual recipes can vary and taste completely different based on their ingredients!

What is the best wine to use?

A dry, fruity, red wine is usually best. Wines such as a cabernet sauvignon, a merlot, pinot noir, or shiraz work well. You want to use a wine that is going to balance well with the spices, and citrus. Sweet wines can be used as well, you’ll just need to add less sugar to the recipe! I’ll be using a cabernet sauvignon, and tempranillo mix from Spain for this recipe.

You don’t have to break the bank either, just read the label and look for descriptions such as ‘fruity’, and ‘full-bodied’. Remember you’ll be pairing the wine with strong flavors such as cinnamon, and orange, and want the wine to complement the flavors you’re adding.

Does it have to contain alcohol?

Traditionally glühwein, recipes are all alcoholic. The alcohol content helps add to the warming effect, of the drink! In fact, some recipe call for a shot of brandy, or amaretto at the end to ‘fortify’ the drink. That being said, if you do cook the wine to long, or boil it, some of the alcohol may evaporate. This is why mulled wines should never be fully boiled, only warmed.

Alcohol free recipes

There are alcohol free versions of mulled wine, and many are geared towards children. Mulled apple cider makes a great alcohol free alternative too!

For this recipe we used:

This recipe is based on one my parents made growing up in North Germany. As such it could be considered a traditional glühwein recipe, and you’ll notice it may not be quite as sweet as other mulled wines.

• 2 bottles of Solaz Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup freshly brewed black tea
• 5-6 whole 3″ cinnamon sticks
• 10 whole cloves
• 1 whole orange sliced – as garnish
• 1 cup white sugar – to taste

How to put it all together:

Once you’re sure you have all your ingredients, pour the red wine into a big pot and gently start to warm the wine. Make sure you use a stainless steel pot, not aluminum, as you don’t want to leach any flavors into the wine.

Add the black tea, orange juice, and spices to the wine. It’s best to use freshly squeezed orange juice when possible. You can also add a few orange slices to increase the orange flavor as the wine mulls . Gently bring the wine to a low simmer, keeping the heat on low the entire time. It is best not to boil the wine as it heats and is infused with the spice flavors.

Using a slow cooker works quite well, and is an easy way to “set and forget” this mulled wine recipe without worrying about over heating it.

Stir the mulled wine occasionally and mull the wine for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste the glühwein to check for sweetness. Add some of the sugar to the glühwein to suit your personal tastes. You want to try and strike a balance between the sweetness of the drink and the tannins the black tea and wine add to the drink.

At this point the glühwein is ready to be served! Enjoy it hot, or at the very least warm! If you want an extra kick, you can choose to add a shot of brandy to the mulled wine to increase the alcohol content.

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