Gløgg – The Traditional Scandinavian Mulled Wine
Gløgg (also known as ‘glögg’ in Swedish and Icelandic) is a traditional type of mulled wine made and served in the Scandinavian countries. In the winter season it is an extremely popular beverage in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Mulled wine prepared in a pot with lemons and cinnamon. Image source: www.pixabay.com
There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic variants of gløgg, with or without various fruit flavours, that are produced and enjoyed in the Nordic countries, including Iceland, Finland, and Estonia. In Finland and Estonia, this traditional beverage is known as ‘glögi’.
The main ingredients used for making this type of mulled wine are sugar, red wine, cinnamon (or other spices such as cardamom), ginger, and bitter lemon or orange. The aforementioned ingredients are then added in a pot and boiled under a temperature ranging from 60 to 70 °C. Additionally, in the process of making gløgg, aquavit (the Danish equivalent of the German ‘schanps’) is also preferred in the mix of ingredients.
Mulled wine is also served in pubs or bars in Scandinavia but can be also bought from most grocery shops. Image source: www.unsplash.com
Gløgg can be either home-made or purchased at almost all grocery stories in Denmark, Norway, or Sweden, under a great variety of recipes and flavours. Along the Christmas season, this Scandinavian type of mulled wine is best served alongside ginger biscuits or raisins.
Documentation sources and external links:
- Gløgg on www.wikipedia.org (in Danish)
- Mulled wine on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- Glögg: An Ancient Hot Spiced Wine Recipe for Après-Shoveling on www.huffingtonpost.com
- Traditional Glogg Recipe on www.thespruce.com
I cannot think of anything better to get me through the winter days.
Homemade mulled wine is always miles better than purchased from groceries. At least here in the UK!
I enjoyed mulled wine in the company of my flatmates and a very close Danish friend when I was still a bachelor student in Aalborg, Denmark. I didn’t not make any mulled wine in the house, so to put it, so the only alternative for me at that time was to go to the groceries (REMA 1000 to be more precise, that was the first choice hypermarket for me). Nothing compares to mulled wine enjoyed in good company!
P.S.: I trust you 100% on the grounds that home made mulled wine is far better than the one you’ll find at the groceries! 😀