Glogg: What Is Glogg?
GloggRecipes.com
Glogg is a type of mulled wine that is very popular in Scandinavian countries. Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are three of the countries where glogg is most popular and a big part of holiday celebrations.
Glogg has been around at least since the 17th century (and probably before) and is derived from the German term “gluhwein”. It is particularly popular in Europe but is enjoyed all over the world. Numerous Swedish communities in the United States have carried on the tradition of glogg and the drink is particularly popular during the Christmas season.
Recipes for glogg vary widely, usually dependant on the country of origin. For the most part, glogg is considered a mulled or spiced wine but it’s not uncommon for other types of liquor to substitute for wine.
In general, glogg is made with red wine, cinammon sticks, cardamon pods, cloves, fine sugar, and some type of fruit or fruit rind, typically oranges.
Half the fun of glogg is experimenting with new recipes, which is the inspiration for GloggRecipes.com and our new book, “Make Glogg, Not War: The Definitive Guide To Glogg “, which you can purchase by clicking the link on the upper right hand corner of this page. Depending upon one’s heritage or personal tastes, different ingredients, particularly liquor, can be used. Some of these include vodka, brandy, and various types of wine.
We’re not here to judge what’s right or wrong with various recipes. We’re more interested in sharing them with you (and tasting them ourselves!). Glogg is a social beverage, meant to be enjoyed with good friends and loved ones. We hope this site inspires you to do just that.
Glogg isn’t hard to make, but it does take a few hours minimum to create a good batch. Since it is a spiced based drink, it’s important to allow sufficient time to let the spices meld. Each recipe we share here and in our upcoming book will have that in common.
Glogg Party
Glogg is typically served with raisins and blanched almonds. Both of these are sometimes included within the drink itself and then strained out prior to serving.
Glogg is meant to be served warm, but don’t let that rule of thumb box you in. You can enjoy glogg chilled and served over crushed ice during the summer months too!
Take Your Glogg With You With One Of 110+ Unique Flasks: Click Here
Glogg Recipe: Easy Glogg 101
Here’s a pretty good glogg recipe for beginners. We like to call this recipe Glogg 101.
And we don’t say that disparagingly at all, it’s more of a comment on the straightforward and simple list of ingredients and the ease of preparation.
Here’s what you need for Glogg 101 …
1 cup of raisins, 3 sticks of cinammon, 3/4 cup of fine granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of cardamon pods, 1 tablespoon of ground cloves, 3 bottles of red wine, and a 1/4 cup of blanched almonds.
Here’s what to do …
Put everything but the wine into a pot. Cover with water, mix to blend the ingredients and simmer for two hours.
Then, turn off the stove and mix in the wine. Let the mixture sit for a couple of hours to meld (2 or 3 hours is fine).
Now you want to strain the mixture to get the spices out (the cardamon pods and cinammon sticks), and also the raisins and almonds, though the almonds should be pretty well cooked in.
We use a slotted spoon to do this, but you can also pour the mixture through a strainer if you like.
To serve, ladle a serving into a mug and heat in the microwave until warm, usually 30 seconds is plenty. Enjoy the “drunken” raisins on the side as a snack. They’ll taste great!
Take Your Glogg With You With One Of 110+ Unique Flasks: Click Here
P.S. – Make sure to crack the cardamon pods before adding them to the mix. You can use an equal amount of ground cardamon too but we like to use the cracked pods because the flavor is truer and better in our opinion.
Glogg Gifts: Glogg T-Shirts
If you know someone who likes glogg, here are two great t-shirts we found.
We actually like the second one better than the first, but let’s show them both to you anyway …
Here’s the first one, it says …
“I Don’t Care If There Are Girls … Is There Glogg?”
And then there’s the one we like just a little bit better …
It says, ““Glogg Gives Me Aphrodisiacal Properties”
What might be fun is drinking glogg for an hour or so and then actually trying to pronounce the word “aphrodisiacal” …
Either way, these t-shirts are perfect for the glogg fan on your list.
For more great glogg gifts, including mugs, t-shirts, aprons, and more, click here:
Glogg Themed Gifts For The Glogg Lover
———————————
Direct from the “Now What Will They Think Of Next” department …
Here it is, Glogg Wine Shower Gel!
A great gift for a gal you like to get next to, this glogg wine shower gel is a creamy and moisturizing shower gel. It is rich in aloe vera, which is really good for keeping skin soft and supple.
The scent actually is like glogg, without the alcohol and without all the guys around. So, in other words, it smells good! Orange citrus and cinammon are the primary scents.
Glogg Recipe (Well, Sort Of): Bob Hofman’s Yule Grog
Well, this isn’t exactly a glogg recipe, but it’s on here for two reasons …
1). It’s Jim’s dads recipe
2). It’s damn good
It’s written down exactly how he wrote it down for me. Here goes …
- Get a big punch bowl
- Use 3 pints of good vanilla ice cream (don’t use cheap vanilla ice cream!)
- Add 1/2 cup of dark rum to the ice cream in the punch bowl
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 bottle of dry champagne (white)
- 1 bottle of red burgundy wine
- 1 bottle of sparkling water
- 1/2 cup Curacao
- 1/4 cup Yellow Chartreuse
- 1/4 cup Jamaican rum (yes, in addition to the rum above)
- Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of super fine sugar
Mix until all ingredients meld. Chill for several hours for peak flavor.
Celebrate The Art Of Social Drinking: Click Here
My dad claims this “Yule Grog” is almost as good as Bill’s world famous line used to secure a date with the fairer sex: “Have you ever been to the opera?”
Great Glogg Bars: Simon’s Tavern – Chicago
Located on the north side of Chicago, Simon’s Tavern is a local, if not a national, treasure.
Simply put, there just aren’t enough of these historically rich bars around any more … let alone one that serves glogg.
Simon's Tavern
You’ll find Simon’s Tavern just a few steps north of the intersection of Clark Street and Foster Avenue, in the midst of Andersonville, a longtime Swedish enclave on Chicago’s north side. Open since 1934, Simon’s is a true Chicago original. By day, it’s a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle just outside the front door. At night, Simon’s is a gathering place for the neighborhood and beyond.
Arguably, glogg is what makes Simon’s most famous. While there are bars around the United States that serve glogg, Simon’s is truly a bar identified with the drink.
During the Christmas season and into mid January, Simon’s posts a sign in their front window stating that glogg is available. And believe us when we tell you, people watch for that sign!
The friendly owner of Simon’s, Scott Martin, bought the bar from the original owners in 1994 and is a staunch supporter of not only the bar’s many traditions, but the surrounding Andersonville neighborhood as well. Scott was kind enough to give us an insiders tour of the historic bar last summer, revealing various historical elements and a few great stories as well!
Scott claims that during the time of year when glogg is served, elderly neighbors of Swedish heritage bring in samples of their own home made glogg, and proceed to lecture Scott on what’s right with their recipe and what’s wrong with Scott’s. Ah, Chicago at its finest …
Simon's Tavern Sign
We highly recommend Simon’s Tavern not only as a great bar to enjoy glogg, but also as a terrific bar in general. They have an eclectic tap beer selection and the atmosphere is historic saloon. It’s a great place to kick back for a few rounds of drinks and conversation.
Glogg Themed Gifts For The Glogg Lover In Your Life: Click Here
Sometimes during the summer months, Simon’s serves glogg chilled. Stop by and experience this place for yourself and enjoy the surrounding Andersonville neighborhood, which is great for a stroll or pub crawl. Here’s the Simon’s Tavern website: www.simonstavern.com
