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Pomegranate Glühwein

Pomegranate Glühwein

The word Glühwein (pronounced glue – vine) is a combination of glühen, which means “to glow,” and wein, which means “wine.” And that’s exactly what Glühwein does to you after a few cups. It glows in your cheeks and warms you from the inside out. Pomegranate glühwein is a unique twist on the traditional glühwein classic.

Glühwein, mulled wine, mulled spiced wine, or Glogg are all variations on the same theme – heated wine seasoned with sweet and aromatic spices. There are many recipes for Glühwein, but the traditional Glühwein recipe calls for heating wine with sugar and spices. 

Wine is simmered with cinnamon sticks, cloves, citrus peel, cardamom pods and sugar. The addition of these warming spices makes Glühwein the perfect drink for chilly winter evenings.

Finding a way to incorporate fruit wines is a novel take on a beverage I spent years thanklessly traipsing across Europe to research via diligent consumption sessions next to open fires, singing carolers, and against cold nights seemed like an essential. Plus, a fruit wine will cut down or eliminate the amount of sugar you need to add, depending on the sweetness of the wine. This pomegranate glühwein is a tasty look at good old fashioned glühwein.

What is Pomegranate Wine?

Pomegranate wine has a tart, fruity flavor and is usually red or pink in color. That tart flavor melds uniquely with Gluhwein. The pomegranate fruit is rich in antioxidants and has many health benefits. Pomegranate wine is made from the juice of the pomegranate fruit, which is infused with traditionally created wine (from grapes).

The pomegranate fruit is native to Asia and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Pomegranate juice is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. The health benefits of pomegranate have been known for centuries. 

The fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, which are believed to protect cells from damage and may help to prevent various diseases. Additionally, pomegranate juice has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Pomegranate wine is a delicious way to enjoy the health benefits of this amazing fruit. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious fruit wine, pomegranate wine is a great choice.

Pomegranate wine is made from the juice of the pomegranate fruit. The juice is fermented and then bottled. Pomegranate wine has a deep red color and a tart, fruity flavor.

Pomegranate wine is a healthy alternative to other types of alcohol. It contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners, and it’s low in calories. Additionally, pomegranate wine is a good source of antioxidants and polyphenols, which are believed to protect cells from damage and may help to prevent various diseases.

Pomegranate Glühwein

Just follow a traditional Glühwein recipe, using pomegranate wine in place of the red wine. You can use any type of pomegranate wine you like, but we recommend something semi-sweet or sweet for best results. One of the wines mentioned above will work perfect. When selecting a fruit wine, just make sure it is not too sweet. You want the German Glühwein to have a balance of sweetness and acidity. 

For a pomegranate wine Glühwein, you’ll need:

– 1 bottle Pomegranate wine

  • Sugar to taste
  • 1/3 cup water

– 1 orange, sliced

  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 8 allspice

– 1 star anise (optional)


Steps:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a pot over med-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. 

2. You want to ensure your Glühwein is piping hot before serving. 

3. Heat to a simmer. Do not bring to a boil or that will mess with the wine.

4. At that point, turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for about 10 minutes.  This will give time for the ingredients to mix and meld.

5. You can then either strain it or serve it as is. 

6. If you want to keep it warm, put it back on the stove over low heat. 

7. Serve in Glühwein mugs or glasses with orange slices or cinnamon sticks.

Gluhwein made with Fruit Wine

Gluhwein made with Fruit Wine

Good Gluhwein includes the right mix of ingredients. The best Gluhwein recipes live in the heads of those stirring steaming wine in blackened pots at Christmas Markets throughout Europe. That’s why I went to those markets and did the thankless research of stumbling my way through wooden stalls and drinking at Apres Ski parties to bring you the recipes you can’t find anywhere else. 

One recipe, Gluhwein made with Fruit Wine I travel to the Midwest to find. I discovered a perfect compliment in the Cherry Wines of Door County, WI, but gluhwein made with any fruit wine will work. 

A delicious cherry or blueberry wine adds an extra dimension of flavor when combined with spices. Plus, a sweet fruit wine will cut down or eliminate the amount of sugar you need to add, depending on the sweetness of the wine.

What is Fruit Wine?

Fruit wines are made from fermenting fruit. Sounds simple. But, we often only think of wine as produced from grapes. Grapes aren’t the only fruit that can be fermented to produce wine, and lots of different berries and fruits contain the potential for wine greatness. 

Aside from grapes, other fruit wines you might see on store shelves (or winery menus) include:

– Apple wine

– Apricot wine

– Blackberry wine

– Cherry wine

– Peach wine

– Elderberry wine 

– Pomegranate wine

The process for making fruit wines is similar to that of grape wines, but with a few key differences. First, the fruit is crushed and the juice is extracted (usually through pressing). Then, yeast is added to begin the fermentation process. Once fermentation is underway, the new wine must be aged before it’s bottled and ready to drink. 

During aging, fruit wines often undergoes racking (a process of transferring the wine from one container to another) and fining (the addition of agents that clarifies the wine). Once these steps are complete, the fruit wine is ready to be enjoyed.

There are many different types of fruit wines on the market, so there’s sure to be one that appeals to your personal taste and pairs well with the other spices added to gluhwein. If you’re looking for a fruity, refreshing wine, try a white fruit wine like apple or apricot. For a richer, fuller-bodied fruit wine, go for a red variety like cherry or blackberry.

Fruit Wine Gluhwein

Just follow a traditional gluhwein recipe, using fruit wine in place of the red wine. You can use any type of fruit wine you like, but we recommend something semi-sweet or sweet for best results. One of the wines mentioned above will work perfect. When selecting a fruit wine, just make sure it is not too sweet. You want the German gluhwein to have a balance of sweetness and acidity. 

For a fruit wine Gluhwein, you’ll need:

1 bottle fruit wine

  • 1 bottle fruit wine
  • 2 sugar cubes
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 medium orange, sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 8 allspice
  • 1 star anise (optional)

Steps:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a pot over med-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. 

2. You want to ensure your gluhwein is piping hot before serving. 

3. The best method of determining if the wine is hot enough is the ol’ finger test. Stick a finger in and if the gluhwein is hot, you’re good. 

A note here. PLEASE DON’T BE SILLY. DON’T BURN YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT CAN HAPPEN. This temperature range help release the aromas of the spices without making the drink too hot. You also don’t want it burning the roof of your mouth off. 

4. At that point, turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for about 10 minutes.  This will give time for the ingredients to mix and meld.

5. You can then either strain it or serve it as is. 

6. If you want to keep it warm, put it back on the stove over low heat. 

7. Serve in mugs or glasses with pitted cherry, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry and a cinnamon stick. 

*If you want a truly festive Gluhwein, try making it with cranberry fruit wine. 

 It’s delicious.

Christmas Market Glühwein Mugs

Christmas Market Glühwein Mugs

Glühwein is a spiced, hot wine that is popular in Germany during the winter months. But, the experience wouldn’t be complete without the mug. Traditional glühwein mugs that you’d find at German Christmas Markets will be .2 L (approx. 7 oz.) ceramic mug. These Christmas market glühwein mugs are priceless.

A Christmas market glühwein mugs keep your delicious, mulled, spiced wine drink warm and looking great. Mugs are often collectibles. Each year, the design changes and so German Christmas Market goers often collect a mug each year. Artists design the mug specific to a certain Christmas Market and, of course, the responsible thing to do is drink your way each market until you have a collection.

That way of gathering Christmas market gluhwein mugs also means that when you’re sharing gluhwein with friends back home, in front of a fire, with the snow falling outside, you’ve got stories to tell about how and where you acquired each mug. 

Alternatively, you could go online and buy a set. 

Glühwein is an experience. The heat and flavors combined to create something that wasn’t meant to be rushed. This makes the 7 ounce gluhwein mug the perfect size for drinking gluhwein. Sure, a coffee mug will work. But, gluhwein is a drink to enjoy with friends, loved ones, inciting laughs and joy.

We’ve got the great fortune today of drinking gluhwein as an experience, something slow and fun, to be enjoyed and lingered on, like a good kiss. Sip slow, my friends. Savor the moment and experience. 

Best Rose Wine for Glühwein

Best Rose Wine for Glühwein

TLDR:

Glühwein (pronounced glue – vine), mulled wine, mulled spiced wine, or Glogg are all variations on the same theme – heated wine seasoned with sweet and aromatic spices. These spices include, to name a few, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange, and allspice.

When choosing a wine for Glühwein look for something that is fruity and not too tannic. The best wine for Glühwein is a sweet Rosé wine. I like to avoid full bodied, dry Rosé wines. Here is a list of other good Rosé wines to try:

    • Grenache Ros
    • White Zinfandel 
    • Dry Spanish Rosé

Best Wine for Glühwein

Glühwein (pronounced glue – vine), mulled wine, mulled spiced wine, or Glogg are all variations on the same theme – heated wine seasoned with sweet and aromatic spices. These spices include, to name a few, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange, and allspice.

There are many recipes for Glühwein, but the traditional Glühwein recipe calls for heating wine with sugar and spices.  Wine is simmered with cinnamon sticks, cloves, citrus peel, cardamom pods and sugar. The addition of these warming spices makes Glühwein the perfect drink for chilly winter evenings.

Best Rosé Wine for Glühwein

You want a wine that is high in sugar content so it will be sweet, but not too sweet. A wine with good acidity is also important as it will help to balance the sweetness of spices like cinnamon and orange, which you will add to Glühwein.

It’s a common misconception that you need good wine in order to make Glühwein. That’s not true. Of course, good wine makes everything better, but because we’re so heavily changing the flavor by adding flavor forward spices using a good wine doesn’t make sense. 

Save the good wine for the guests. In my experience, and my research around the world has been extensive, Glühwein is best made with a cheap Rosé wine. 

No joke. The best wine for Glühwein is a sweet or semi-sweet cheap wine. 

You’re going to season the wine heavily with aromatic and sweet spices that overpower the wine’s original flavor. No need to get fancy and show off your sommelier wine picking skills here.

Rosé Wine for Glühwein

Rosé wine is a good option for Glühwein. If you want to use a Rosé, look for one made with Grenache grapes. Choose a wine that is not too sweet and has good acidity. Some good choices include:

  • Grenache Rosé –  Grenache Rosé is a French Rosé wine that is known for its fruity flavor. It can be a good choice for making Glühwein
  • White Zinfandel –  White Zinfandel is an American Rosé wine that is known for its fruity flavor. It can be a good choice for making Glühwein.
  • Dry Spanish Rosé –   Dry Spanish Rosé is a Spanish wine that is known for its dry flavor. It can be a good choice for making Glühwein. 

German Glühwein

Glühwein is not a complicated drink to make. But, traditional Glühwein is challenging to perfect. Today you don’t have to go to Germany to enjoy the glow of a cup of Glühwein. You can make your own using the curated Sam’s Glow cocktail kit, or track down the supplies on your own. 

The special Sam’s seasoning in our Boozn’ Sams Glow Kit isn’t for sale anywhere else and took years of diligent research amongst wooden stands and blackened kettles through places like Austria, Germany, Finland and Sweden.