Christmas Time and Mulled Wine
Christmas is almost here! You know what that means? It’s mulled wine season. My former roommate and I used to make mulled wine together regularly in the run up to Christmas and I continue that tradition even here in Istanbul where Christmas is sadly not so much a thing.
There are so many recipes and traditions out there for mulled wine but we’ve always preferred the German Glühwein. On our shared blog, ParMieux Adventures she explains the tradition of Glühwein and what the name means.I’m going to let you wander over there and check it out while I stay here and drink it.
There’s something about a pomander that I just love. They’re kind of a pain to make, literally, because pushing the cloves into the orange can be difficult with the cloves trying to poke their way through my thumb while I’m doing it. Despite that I always make them for my mulled wine. If the cloves are stuck in the orange you don’t have to strain the wine later. They also just smell fantastic and make a pretty Christmas centerpiece!
I love Christmas and every year I’m in Turkey for it I get just that much more homesick. It’s probably the only time of the year that I am homesick. I’ve never even decorated here-partially because the owner of my last apartment had stuffed so much furniture into the shoe box-sized apartment there was barely room for me let alone a tree and partially because I’m pretty sure Sherlock would view a tree as her own personal playground.
This year I’m helping my friend with her Christmas Eve pop-up dinner by making the desserts. I’ve been in the kitchen every day this week. I used to make candy and baked goods as Christmas presents back in the States so my apartment may not look Christmassy but I’m feeling the spirit! My feet, legs, and back feel like they’ll never work again but I love it. Throw in some mulled wine and I don’t even feel the aches and pains.
Mulled wine is a very personal thing. Some people don’t like it at all sweet, others want a lot of sugar. I fall into the latter category so if you follow my recipe keep that in mind. However you make it though: Cheers and Merry Christmas!
I’m not a big believer in precise measurements; mostly I just add glugs and skoches of things so feel free to play around with this!
Glühwein Recipe:
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 1 pomander, halved (orange studded with cloves)
- Juice from 2-3 oranges
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- In a medium size pot heat the water, sugar, pomander halves, and cinnamon sticks until the sugar has totally dissolved.
- Pour in the wine, then the orange juice.
- Heat on medium low until hot.
- Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!