White Glühwein Recipe- A lighter Citrussy Glühwein (2024)

FAQs

Should Glühwein be served warm or cold? ›

As we point out in the below directions, Glühwein is served hot and should be sipped slowly just as you would with a fresh cup of coffee. Of course, you do not have to splurge on crystal glassware to sip Gluhwein. A regular mug is a fine alternative.

This mulled wine recipe is for the German Glühwein, which literally translates to glow-wine, because of how you feel after you've been drinking tiny mugs outside in December.

A variation of Glühwein is made with white wine, but it is less popular than its red counterpart. For children, the non-alcoholic Kinderpunsch is offered on Christmas markets, which is a punch with similar spices. Another popular variant of Glühwein in Germany is Feuerzangenbowle.

You need to infuse the wine long enough with the spices to take on their flavour but DON'T ON ANY ACCOUNT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL as you'll be left with a bitter taste.

We recommend keeping the opened bottle in the refrigerator and consuming it within 2-3 days.

Instructions. Start by cooking the sugar only in a big pot, let it melt/caramelize at medium high heat, without moving it. Add wine rapidly and the remaining ingredients when melted and turning yellow-brown. Let the wine slowly warm up to 70°C (160F) do not pass 80°C (175F) (keep a close eye on that).

All ingredients are combined and heated to approximately 150-160 degrees. Be careful not to over heat or boil the mixture. Since alcohol evaporates at 172 degrees which is much lower than water you would be left with a non-alcoholic version of mulled wine and that defeats the purpose.

THE GERMANS also disagree: 'Bier auf Wein das lass sein; Wein auf Bier das rat' ich Dir' (roughly translated: 'Don't touch beer after wine; but wine after beer is fine'). There is an Anglo-German difference on another bit of folklore, too.

Zinfandels, Merlots, Syrah/Shiraz, or Garnache tend to work best. Avoid red wines high in tannins or have an oaky flavor, and avoid light reds. Sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to have a full-bodied, fruity flavor, can work in a pinch, as can Malbec, which tends to have a bold, spicy flavor.

What is an alternative to Glühwein? ›

Mulled wine is hot spiced wine. Gluhwein is a German term for exactly the same. However, they might not necessarily taste the same way because there are so many different recipes, spice mixes and wines to choose from.

The reason they are cheaper than a bottle of red wine is because there is far less red wine in them! If you read the (very) small print on the label of Lidl's Christkindl Gluhwein, it is described as a "Flavoured beverage containing wine".

Over time the flavor profile continuously changes, and if it is stored for a long time, the sensory profile will go from glögg to a profile similar to a fortified wine. An opened bottle means that oxygen is added and that the product can oxidize.

The most important part: never let glühwein boil. This cooks off the alcohol, which isn't the goal. You can leave it heating on the stove for a few hours if you want, but the heat must be low enough to not bubble.

But what if you're looking for a bit more refreshment and you want to enjoy this drink cold instead? Is it not going to taste as good as it does when warm? The answer is that you can absolutely serve mulled wine chilled, and there are quite a few recipes out there for cold versions of this iconic sipper.

Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Give the mulled wine a taste, and stir in extra sweetener if needed. Serve. Serve warm in heatproof mugs, topped with your favorite garnishes.

When you're ready to serve the mulled wine, just pour it back into a large saucepan and rewarm over medium-low heat. You can also place the mulled wine in a slow cooker and rewarm it on LOW and then reduce the heat to warm for serving.