Our Favorite Glühwein Recipes
Glühwein is unquestionably the German-speaking world’s favorite holiday drink. While many traditions enjoy mulled wine this time of year, glühwein plays a central role in the magical German Christkindl markets that transform already charming old-world city centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland into true Christmas wonderlands. Glühwein’s warm and inviting aroma wafts throughout these open-air marketplaces, with the various vendors politely competing to win customers with their finest glühwein recipes. Around every corner you are sure to find groups large and small huddled around their mugs of glühwein, soaking up the sites, sounds, and flavors of a classical, German Christmas.
Literally translated, “Glühwein” means “glowing wine” in English—a reference to the fact that the wine literally appeared luminous when heated centuries ago using glowing, red-hot-iron heating elements. Glühwein today is offered in both red and white varieties and uses varied combinations of traditional mulling spices including citrus, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and vanilla. And lest children and non-alcohol drinkers feel left out, similarly diverse varieties of non-alcoholic glühwein, or Kinderpunsch (children’s punch), are offered by glühwein purveyors to both warm the belly and offer a measure of German Weihnacht tradition to all.
We scoured the German-speaking internet for the best-reviewed, genuine Glühwein and Kinderpunsch recipes and offer you our take on these amazing beverages. If getting on a plane and flying to Nuremburg, Munich, or Vienna isn’t in the cards this season, fill your home with these magical aromas and transport yourself virtually to the twinkling lights and quaint huts of a Christkindlmarkt by brewing up one (or all!) of these traditional glühwein recipes and sharing with friends and loved-ones:
Red Glühwein
- 1 liter red wine
- 1 orange, sliced
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 wholes cloves
- 4 whole star anise
- 3-4 TBS (to taste) sugar, honey, agave syrup, or other sweetener
- 1 vanilla bean (optional)
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional)
Prepare the oranges slices, then combine all of the ingredients (except the sugar) in a large pot, Dutch oven, or crock pot and heat on low for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Adjust the sweetness by adding sugar to taste. Take care during heating not to allow the punch to come to a boil.
White Glühwein
- 1 liter white wine
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 cup of pulp-free orange juice
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 whole star anise
- 3-4 TBS (to taste) sugar, honey, agave syrup, or other sweetener
Prepare the orange and lemon slices, then combine all of the ingredients (except the sugar) in a large pot, Dutch oven, or crock pot and heat on low for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Adjust the sweetness by adding sugar to taste. Take care during heating not to allow the punch to come to a boil.
Kinderpunsch
- 3 cups brewed hibiscus or fruit tea (alternatively 3 cups of water and either 3 TBS of loose leaf tea or 3 tea bags)
- 1.5 cups apple juice
- 1.5 cups orange juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 orange, sliced
- 5 whole star anise
- 1 vanilla bean (optional)
- 1 TBS sugar
Combine all ingredients except the sugar in a large pot and gradually heat on low for at least 30 minutes to ensure the flavors come together. Add sugar to reach the desired level of sweetness and strain the finished brew of any tea leaves, fruits slices, or spices (other than those you’d like to serve with the punch as a garnish (star anise are especially decorative)) and enjoy.
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