Last weeks post mentioned how important meatballs are for us Swedes when we celebrate Christmas. Something that is almost as important here in Sweden during Christmas is mulled wine, or glögg as we prefer to call it. It comes in different strength and shapes. The traditional glögg is made of red wine, but varieties made of white wine is quite popular as well.

It was probably the Romans who introduced the beverage in northern Europe. The herbs that were used to flavor the wine were considered to be a cure. But I suspect it was also an excuse for drinking more wine. And they probably needed that. Even the most battle-hardened badass roman legionary probably found it hard to stand the gruesome winter weather in the north. Not to mention all the hostile barbarians who did their best to make their life miserable. Anyone can have homesickness in such circumstances.

The Roman legions never reached Sweden, but the mulled wine found it’s way up here anyhow. Mulled wine was popular throughout the middle ages, but it was not until the 18th century that it became a Christmas drink. And its popularity has only increased.

1.3 million gallons of mulled wine is sold in Sweden every Christmas. That means, with 10 million inhabitants, every Swede has to drink about 2 cups of mulled wine every Christmas. Infants included. I suppose you don’t have to be a Roman legionary to feel depressed here up in the north sometimes.

Making glögg is easy. You may, in fact, have some of the ingredients in your pantry already. Let’s start with the wine. For this recipe, you can use one bottle of any type of red wine. Don’t look for anything expensive. A budget wine works fine.
Avoid using a sweet dessert wine for this recipe. You will add sugar, and a glögg overloaded with sugar is just disgusting.