Holiday Glögg

This recipe was handed down to spirits writer Robert Simonson’s friend, Anne Heid, from her Finnish mother. She says that since the wine is heavily flavored during the mulling process, she usually uses an inexpensive Burgundy. She also suggests using a slow cooker to simmer the mixture, and she sometimes adds 2 cups of vodka for an extra kick.

1 gallon dry red wine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Angostura bitters
6 whole cardamom, crushed
5 whole cloves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
Peel of 1 orange
2 cups raisins
2 cups slivered almonds

Mix together the wine, sugar, spices and orange peel in a non-reactive container and let stand overnight (or a minimum of eight hours). Strain the mixture into a pot or slow cooker and simmer until warm, stirring. To serve, add a few raisins and almonds into each small cup or mug before ladling in the warm wine mixture.