Mulled Wine - Glögg

Someone from Northern Minnesota was asking recently for a good recipe for the Nordic winter specialty, glögg. Similar in some ways to mulled wine or the German Gluhwein. it is a standard feature at get-togethers throughout November and December, often served with crisp gingersnaps. By omitting the vodka, and substituting grape juice for wine, it is easily made into a family-friendly drink. This is my variation of a recipe that my friend Bitte and I used to serve in Helsinki/Helsingfors.

Finlands Glögg

Heat up 2 cups of burgundy, port, or good old concord Manishewitz, 1 cup of black currant syrup (you can get this at well-stocked grocery stores, sometimes sold under the trade name "Ribena"), 1 stick of cinnamon, a strip of orange peel (in Finland, they use pomerance peel, "pomaranssi", but it's very difficult to get here), 1" of peeled, raw ginger, 10 cardamom seeds (not the pods), about a teaspoon, and about 20 whole cloves. You can also add 1/2- 1 cup vodka. Let the mixture simmer, covered, for at least two hours. I like to let it stand overnight. Strain the mixture and put into a glass bottle until ready to heat and reuse. Serve very warm with a couple of blanched almonds and raisins in each glass. Be very careful when removing the lid that you have turned off the heat, especially if you are using a gas flame. My brother has burned off his eyelashes when the vapor caught fire from the flame!

* if you can't find the blackcurrant syrup, you'll need to add 3/4 cup of water and sugar to taste. Do try and find the syrup though. It is worth the hunt.