Jim’s Glogg Recipe

Many years ago, on a typically cold and blustery midwestern winter evening, I created my very first batch of glogg.

Much like a budding new romance, the process was equal parts experimental and satisfying … and from that day forward a passion for mixology was born.

Over time, the initial recipe changed and evolved. That’s the beauty of making glogg … no matter the recipe, you can adjust it to your own tastes, preferences, and creative flair!

This recipe yields about a gallon of glogg, which is more than enough for a holiday gathering (or just a holiday seasons worth of winter warmer cocktail for you). You’ll have enough left over to bottle into three or four standard wine bottles (750 ml size). Holiday Hint: A bottle of home made glogg is the perfect gift with a personal touch!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A large 4-6 gallon stainless steel stovetop pot
  • One gallon of red table wine (anything cheap from the jug wine aisle at the grocery or liquor store is just fine, i.e. Taylor, Gallo, etc.)
  • Three cinnamon sticks
  • Three whole cloves
  • Six cracked cardamom pods (see FAQ at bottom)
  • 2 cups of sweet wine, like a port or burgundy
  • 1 cup vodka
  • One orange, quartered
  • 1/2 cup of “dark” fruit, like seedless raisins, pitted prunes, or pitted dates (I prefer dates due to their slightly exotic and spicy flavor)
  • 3/4 cup of white sugar

    • And now it’s time to make a batch …

    1). Pour both types of wine into your pot and heat gently under medium to medium high heat.

    2). After about three or four minutes, add all the other ingredients.

    3). Gently stir and let the mixture simmer until it begins to steam. Don’t let the mixture boil, because that will burn off the alcohol and really, how much fun would that be??

    4). Turn the heat down to low and let the mixture continue to meld for at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour so the flavors really blend together).

    5). Using a large slotted spoon, strain out the spices and the fruit. Tip: Save the raisins or dates and serve as a snack. You can even freeze them in a zip lock bag. They’re great when served atop cheesecake or carrot cake!

    6). Once the mixture is strained, serve in a coffee mug. You can bottle the remainder in standard 750 ml wine bottles with a screw top.

    Most of all … enjoy! Experiment with this recipe as you see fit. Using different kinds of fruit will impart a different taste. Dried apricots work well … and there’s nothing wrong with using several varieties of fruit together.

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    Tell me more about cardamom pods. Where can I get them? Cardamom pods can be obtained at any large spice store, like a Penzey’s. They’re native to Indonesia and are often used in Indian cooking and traditional Nordic baking recipes. Cardamom pods are small and have a triangular shape. Inside each pod are small black seeds. You can use the seeds if you wish … 1/2 teaspoon is equal to about six cardamom pods. The trick is to slightly crack the pods using a nutcracker or gently tapping with the handle of a knife. Cardamom pods are the “secret sauce” in glogg recipes, so be sure to use this key ingredient.

    Can I store my glogg that I’ve bottled? Yes! Glogg will keep for at least six months to a year or even longer. Store it like you would wine … in a cool dark place. You do not need to refrigerate glogg, so no worries there.

    Can I use powdered spices instead of whole spices? You can, but we don’t recommend it. Powdered spices won’t stand up as well to the wine mixture and the flavor will suffer. Always try to use whole spices if possible.

    What can I serve with glogg? There are a few traditional Swedish snacks that go especially well with glogg. Among them are blanched almonds, lemon wafers, or gingersnap cookies.

    If you’d like to learn more about glogg, pick up a copy of our new ebook, “Make Glogg, Not War: The Definitive Guide to Glogg”, available here at gloggrecipes.com .


    Making A Batch Of Glogg

    Bill (L) and Jim (R) Make A Batch

    Recently, Bill and I were interviewed by our local newspaper, The Naperville Sun, as we brewed up a batch of glogg.

    Notice the big stainless steel pot on the stove. That’s the kind you want to make a batch of glogg because you’ll give all the spices and ingredients room to blend together.

    Be sure to have a few empty wine bottles with screw tops on hand so you can bottle your batch. Of course, you can drink some, just as we did after completing this batch, but you’ll want to save some for later too …

    A good funnel is handy as well. That makes it a lot easier to ladle the mixture into the bottle. Just be sure to strain out whatever you don’t want bottled, like stray pieces of spice like cinnamon sticks and others.

    By the way, making this batch took us about 90 minutes from start to finish. Along the way, we sampled glogg from an earlier effort. You can store glogg in a cool dark place for at least a year … the spices will continue to meld and give the mixture a little added character.

    Normally we like to let our glogg sit overnight before drinking it, but this batch smelled so enticing we just had to have a few sips. Cheers!