Jul Glögg--A Quick Lesson.

Jul without glögg is unthinkable.  For those unfortunates who know nothing of glögg I will share my mother-in-law Siv's recipe for making this tasty winter warmer.  As with Moth Boats, glögg making is subject to the whims of the maker and so readers are cautioned that although the basic framework of glögg is the same from one glöggmaster to the next, the finished product tends to reflect the personal tastes of its maker.

The Cast of Players:  (This recipe makes a 4 liter batch.  Not enough?  You can scale it up.)

1 liter of Vodka
3 liters of red wine, preferably a hearty red burgundy
Rum to taste ~perhaps a cup full
15 to 20 whole cardamom pods (remove the seeds from the pods--use the seeds)
10 to 12 whole cloves
4 to 5 cinnamon sticks
2 small pieces of dried ginger (you may have to go to an organic market or "health food" store for this ingredient)
1 good handful of raisins
The zest of one Clementine or small orange
~ 1 cup of sugar cubes (more about this later)

The First Reaction:

Mix the Vodka, wine, rum, spices, orange zest and raisins in a suitable pot; heat just to the simmering point and then remove from the heat.  Allow the hot alcohol to extract the goodness from the spices for at least an hour or two, but preferably overnight, as the alcohol slowly cools to room temperature.

A word about the liquid ingredients:

Glögg does NOT require top drawer Vodka, Rum or wine.  This is a situation where knowledgeable glöggmasters use reliable "bargain" brands and "lesser" vintages.  The Vodka and Rum I use are the low priced ones which come in plastic bottles ("Ruble" and "Castillo" spiced, respectively).  Likewise, the wine is nothing too distinguished (I've used Italian Swiss Colony red burgundy in the past; this year Livingston brand burgundy was on sale at my local bottle shop).

The Second Reaction:

This step requires the glöggmaster to pour the flaming batch of glögg over a metal strainer containing sugar cubes.  The batch MUST be reheated to the simmering point and then lit off before straining over the sugar cubes.  It is the burning (and attendant caramelization) of the sugar that gives the finished glögg its wonderful "smokey" flavour.

A word about the amount of sugar:

Glöggmasters should avoid the temptation of using too much sugar.  Too much sugar makes a drink that only your great aunt Tilly will be able to swallow.  Siv's original recipe calls for a pound of sugar cubes but diaristwoman and I have reduced that to between 3/4 of a cup to about 1 full cup of sugar cubes.  I don't know what that translates into weight.  Be aware that sugar cubes come in at least two sizes: 4 grams/cube and 2.5 grams/cube.  My 3/4 cup (diaristwoman's full cup) assumes the larger 4 gram cubes.

A word about the burning process:

Lighting off and pouring the burning batch through the metal strainer, positioned over a second suitable sized metal pot, is HAZARDOUS!  Place the pot with the strainer of sugar cubes in the kitchen sink and have good pot holders to protect your hands and arms.  Take care not to set the kitchen curtains on fire and don't burn the house down.  As soon as the batch has gone through the strainer extinguish the flames with a pot lid--continued burning is wasteful of alcohol.  The spices and raisins retained by the strainer should be put in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator.  They are good for a couple of batches.  After the burn I add back some more spiced Rum, to taste, to make up for the alcohol lost during the burning step.

Serving:

Put raisins and slivered almonds in small glögg cups.  Pour glögg, warmed over the stove or in a microwave to drinking temperature, over the raisins and nuts.  Place a small spoon in each cup to get at the raisins and nuts.  Swedish gingersnaps pairs well with glögg.  Good Luck, and Good Glögg!  What follows is a pictorial account of this year's glögg making at Diarist HQ.

The newly mixed batch heating on the stove during the first reaction.  Smells wonderful!

The next day.  While the batch is heating for the second time I've measured out 3/4 of a cup of sugar cubes.  After tasting batch Nr 1, diaristwoman said it needed just a touch more sugar.  She was right.  I thought it needed a little more rum.  I was right too.  The second batch got about 1 cup of cubes and "some" more rum.

These pot holders have been to several glögg wars.

Time to light off the batch.

Pouring the batch over the sugar cubes.  Note the flames under the strainer.  Be prepared for a bit of flare-up around your knuckles as you are pouring.  If in doubt go back and take a second look at the pot holders photo.

As the flaming batch goes through the strainer, the cubes get smaller and plump raisins and spice bits accumulate.

Keep pouring.  When finished straining, put out the fire ASAP.  Add back rum to satisfaction.

After things cool a bit, move the finished glögg to the empty wine bottle.

Ave Maria, the new batch of glögg is here!

We took some glögg over to diaristwoman's mother.

Glögg requires slivered almonds and raisins in each cup.  Pepparkakor (gingersnaps) and Lussekatter (saffron buns) are appropriate accompaniments.

Raisins are carefully transferred to the cups.

As are the nuts.

Warm glögg follows.  Allow the raisins to soften in the glögg.  Stir them with your spoon.

The critical taste test.  Will my best efforts pass this demanding judge and stickler for tradition?

I'll take mother-in-law's response as a "yes".  Jul is saved!

So, there it is then.  Glögg demystified.  God Jul and Good Glögg!  Pardon me while I go have some!

God Jul och God Booz!

It's the evening before Christmas Day, or Jul Afton as the Swedes would say.  I'm a reluctant Episcopalian and reluctant Pagan.  By upbringing I observe Christian holidays but by nature I tend to follow the more ancient rhythms of the earth: the changing of the tides, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the turn of the seasons, the migration of birds and animals, the shortening of day light, evergreens, the winter solstice (my birthday) and so on.  Luckily for me both traditions embrace a common element: booze.  I've been to Swedish Church earlier today and after a bit of quiet introspection and drinking I'll soon be off to an Episcopal evening service.  Two doses of Jesus in two different languages in the same day.  What does all this mean?  I have no idea and am still trying to work out all the strange juxtapositions of good and evil, hate and love, joy and suffering, life and death, but in the meantime you can take a look at some of the earlier elements of my day.

This is our Julbord before the meal.  Diaristwoman works very hard to present a festive table.

Your sinful old Diarist also works hard.  This photo is for Gunnar.  The Rimmersholms Svenska Nubbar collection ("little Swedish tacks") is a nice introduction into the realm of snaps and can be had at almost any Systemet the next time you're in the old country: http://www.systembolaget.se/  Both the Herrgårds aquavit and Hallands Fläder are fine accompaniments to the Julbord.  I find the Jägermeister to be useful at the end of the meal if one goes once too often to the Julbord...

Beyond snaps there's wine, beer and rum to be considered.  We didn't have a chance to sample beers or ales tonight (but the Jul season is just beginning).  However we did sample two wines: Cycles Gladiator Merlot and a nice South American Malbec by Jean Bousquet.  Both were met with great enthusiasm.  Afterwards we rounded off the evening with rum while opening presents.

Good old Grogham

To sweethearts and wives--may they never meet...

We didn't sample this jug tonight.  I enjoyed it's contents years ago.  I don't normally save each dead soldier I manage to empty but I do save the more interesting ones.  Henry McKenna was a lovely sour mash Bourbon made by a very small distillery in Kentucky . I used to loyally drink their product back in the '70s and '80s but sadly there was a fire and the distillery was a total loss.  This jug now holds only air and pleasant memories.  What does it have to do with Christmas?  It is a totem for shared pleasures.  Simple as that.  I'd hang it on my Christmas tree except it would break the branches.

This last "Spirit of Christmas Past" is a little green bottle in which Pennsylvania "Old Cabin" Whiskey once resided. 

The maker was Edmund Booz, a man who's surname has been incorporated into the English language.  This particular bottle is not that old, dating to the end of production in the 1950s--but like the very much more collectible bottles of 100 years earlier, this one was made by a small glass works in the sandy pine barrens of southern New Jersey for the same distiller.  Like Henry McKenna, Edmund Booz is now just a pleasant memory.  And so with these and other pleasant thoughts dancing in your heads, I bid you a good night, a very Merry Christmas and En Riktig God Jul!