Posted by Chris on April 15, 2008
I am not a big fan of chamomile so this recipe from danky at Day Recipe does not immediately cry out to me, “drink me, Chris. Driiiiiink me!” but I am sure it is very nice. However, it is made with white wine so it is immediately unique for that reason alone - even without chamomile flowers. The recipe makes a healthy, but not overindulgent, 6 servings.
2 chamomile tea bags
2 cups boiling water1 750-ml bottle chenin blanc or other semidry white wine1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup light rum
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon chopped mixed dried fruit
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Place tea bags in large glass measuring cup. Pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let stand 4 minutes. Discard tea bags.
Combine tea, wine and all remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir wine mixture over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture just to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 20 minutes.
Rewarm wine over low heat (do not boil). Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Ladle wine, raisins and dried fruit into mugs and serve.
Danky also posted a delicious-sounding spiced rum and tea punch recipe you might want to look into.
Posted by Chris on April 9, 2008
Beer is good. Spiced wine is good. If only the two could be mixed…
Bob of the Bob Woodshed Beer Blog reviewed Unibroue Queleque Chose from Unibroue brewery. The brewery recommends that the beer be drunk hot or on the rocks.
That’s right! On the friggin’ rocks! Yeah, I know.
Here’s Bob’s review finale:
That was officially the most unique experience I have had thus far with a beer. Warmed is definitely the way to go, but I can also see how some people would prefer to drink this over ice. I honestly can’t think of a beer even remotely similar to this, so kudos for Unibroue for trying something unique. If you’re a fan of hot spiced wine, give this a shot.
I will be on the lookout for it. Enjoy!
Update… I found Unibroue Queleque Chose at Whole Foods Markets and tried. Interestingly, my thoughts about the beer are basically exactly the opposite of Bob’s. I think over the rocks is definitely the way to go and did not really like it warmed. It tastes more like hot cider to me than mulled wine but that might just be semantics. On the rocks, it’s great and Ela really loved it.
Overall, I definitely like Unibroue Queleque Chose (on the rocks, anyway) and would recommend it to anyone. I whole-heartedly agree with Bob that Unibroue deserves kudos for trying something unique.
Posted by Chris on April 6, 2008
The Canadienne en France had her first day of skiing in the Alps and her first mulled wine after a day of skiing in the Alps. I think the mulled wine is the best part since it’s really part of the main reason she went to France there anyway:
“Most importantly, I signed up to drink cheap great wine, eat fine cheeses and pastries every day, and travel throughout Europe with new found classmates.”
Posted by Chris on April 4, 2008
Joel of TravelBeat.Net went to Amsterdam and tried a few of the finer spirits there, including Bruidstranen, a spiced wine popular to newly weds and commonly served at weddings.
Joel sparked my interest in Bruidstranen so I looked a little further into it and found more explanation over at “Dutch recipes for the newly weds.”
This alcoholic drink is especially for weddings although it has a strange name: Tears of the Bride. The gold and silver leaves mean: the smell of roses and moonshine. It has a scent so fine, that it is comparable with the finest perfume. This drink is served at the wedding (or, as the rumour goes: when a woman is not amused with something her husband did, she poors him a glass to remind him of the weddingfauls). It can also be a gift from the married couple to their guests.
…and, what do you know? They also have a recipe for mulled wine (”Hypocras”) there Here’s the recipe. They have some interesting history about it too but you will have to visit them for that:
Hypocras - mulled wine
500 grams / 2lb 2oz. Sugar
2 lemons
2 tsp cinnamon
4 cloves
2 pieces of mace
6 white pepper corns
1 tsp coriander
5 oranges
1 tart apple such as �goudrenet�
� liter / 2 cups / 1 pint milk
2 litres / 2 qts red or white wine
Splice the cloves lengthwise and crush the pepper corns. Squeeze the two lemons and keep the juice. Dice the unpeeled, non-cored apple. Peel the oranges and keep the peels.
Mix juice, spices, peels, milk and wine in a large container and set aside to steep for at least a day, preferably longer.
Soak a large piece of cheesecloth or a good quality tea towel to use as a sieve. Put that (perhaps supported by a metal sieve or clander) over a wide-mouthed container or bottle able eventually to hold 2.5 litres (a gallon), or use smaller containers and pour the contents through a funnel into a larger one.
Enjoy!
Posted by Chris on April 3, 2008
Alright while we have the best gluhwein in the United States, the stands in the center of the town of St. Wolfgang might have the best gluhwein in Austria - or, at least, the best gluhwein Iva Skoch of Gadling.com has ever had. Wow, what a view!
Posted by Chris on April 2, 2008
ok, this is just plain interesting. I have never heard of mulled wine gravy and it strikes me as one of those “don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it” recipes so here it is in all its dark rich glory from Rubyberries Recipes.
Mulled Wine Gray
Serves 6
Preparation time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 300ml Asda mulled wine
- 300g pot fresh chicken stock
Method
1 Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the turkey’s roasting tin and place on the hob over a medium heat. Stir the plain flour into the turkey juices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
2 Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the wine and chicken stock, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Season to taste and strain into a warmed jug.
Please please please let us know if you try this.
Posted by Chris on March 24, 2008
Here’s a great recipe from the manufacturer of Jodlers Gluhwein mix. They always have great recipes. Try this one.
Jägertee - Hunter Tea
Per Glass
50 % Black (schwarzer) Tee
50 % Dry Red wine
25 ml Glühwein mix
20 - 25 ml Obstler or Schnapps
20 - 25 ml Rum
You heat this manly drink as you do Glühwein (to just below boiling temperature) and some add real Orange juice as
well. Before you drink, start with a low rumble in your throat and let it turn into a growl, then roar!
Enjoy!
Posted by Chris on March 19, 2008
Wow! That’s a lot of honey!
The first thing I noticed about this red wine wassail recipe from I’m in the Mood for Food is that it requires a lot of water. The second thing I noticed is that it requires a LOT OF HONEY! I only noticed the honey second because I read from the top down.
I also really like the blog’s design. Can anyone tell me where it came from?
Here’s the red wine wassail recipe:
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) honey
4 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 750-ml bottle red wine (I used a cabernay and I have no idea how much 750 ml is so I dumped in the bottle)
Boil the water, honey, cloves, and cinnamon for five minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemons, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.Add the wine and heat slowly until just below the boiling point. Serve hot. Serves 6.
If you make this one, please let us know how you like it. I am really curious about how this tastes but I don’t have enough honey around to make it. I am not sure anyone has that much honey around. I guess it’s time for a trip to one of the farmers’ markets around here.
Posted by Chris on March 17, 2008
Celebrate your achievements in style no matter how far from home. Just add water to this mulled wine powder and voila! - mulled wine.
This mulled wine in a bag is pure genius as far as I am concerned. The powdered mulled wine is made by Trekking-Mahlzeiten, a Swiss company that makes quality outdoor gear for expeditions and camping. For those of you who read German, you can learn more about their powered mulled wine on their main site.
Unfortunately, at this time they only distribute water purification products and a few cooking devices to the US. I will be on the lookout for powdered mulled wine and let you know when it is available here - from www.Gluhwein.Net.
Posted by Chris on March 16, 2008
Ahhhhh, skiing in the French Alps… and drinking vin chaud at the top of the slopes. Having a drink at the top of the slopes is one of my favorite things to do when snowboarding, especially on a sunny day. Rachel of Crafty Rachel and her gang enjoyed their day of snowboarding in the Alps and even enjoyed some mulled wine during their break at the top.
Gluhwein moments rule. 
