You've had mulled wine, but have you tried Glogg? This cozy Nordic version is spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and fresh ginger, brightened with orange, and spiked if you want a little extra warmth. It's been a Christmas tradition in our house ever since my first winter as an exchange student in Norway! Make it ahead before guests arrive, then cozy up by the fire. 🎄
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Glogg: A Nordic Christmas Tradition 🎄
Every Nordic country has its own spin on this drink - Norwegians call it gløgg and swear by aquavit, Finns make glögi with vodka and black currants, and Danes love theirs with æbleskiver! My recipe leans Swedish-style (glögg) with a splash of rum. What makes it distinctly Nordic? Cardamom is a must, plus raisins and blanched almonds that get ladled right into your glass.
My first Christmas in Norway as an exchange student, I tried gløgg and was completely smitten. It's just so cozy! Between that experience and my Finnish-Swedish heritage, Nordic recipes have always been close to my heart. I've been making my own version ever since, blending all those influences into one cozy Christmas tradition.
Traditionally, glogg is served with Swedish gingersnaps (pepparkakor) - we always have a tin on hand during the holidays! But we'll let you in on a little secret: we don't just save this for Christmas. A pot of glogg and a plate of Swedish cardamom buns or a slice of Swedish almond cake make for the coziest fika on a cold winter afternoon. ☕🤤
🍷Ingredients
This glogg comes together with simple pantry staples like red wine, warming spices, fresh orange, and a splash of rum. You'll also need raisins and blanched almonds to ladle into each glass (trust me, fishing those out at the bottom is half the fun!)🤤
How to Make Glogg at Home
This Nordic mulled wine is all about the steep. Give it time, and your patience will be rewarded with the most aromatic, flavorful drink! Your house is going to smell incredible. 🤤
- Step 1: Gently crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle. You want to crack them open to release the seeds inside. Keep both the pods and the seeds!
Why whole cardamom? Ground cardamom will make your glogg cloudy and muddy. Whole cardamom pods give you that beautiful aromatic flavor without the grit. Just make sure crush them lightly to release the seeds. If you can find decorticated cardamom seeds (already removed from the pods), those work great too! Trust us on this one - it makes all the difference!
- Step 2: Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, crushed cardamom pods and seeds, ginger slices, and brown sugar to the pot. Peel an orange, trying to avoid the white pith as much as possible. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a Dutch oven or large stockpot, then add the peel.
🍊 Watch the pith! That white stuff under the orange peel can make your glogg bitter. Use a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife to get nice strips of just the zest.
- Step 3: Pour in the red wine and gently warm the mixture over medium-low heat until it just barely starts to simmer. As soon as you see the first wisps of steam and tiny bubbles forming around the edges, remove from heat immediately. Cover and let steep at room temperature for at least 1 hour, but preferably 4 hours for the best flavor.
🍷 Wine choice: Use a full-bodied, inexpensive red wine. You want something you'd enjoy drinking on its own, but nothing fancy. The spices do all the heavy lifting here!
⚠️ Don't let it boil! This is the most important rule of glogg. Boiling will cook off the alcohol and makes the spices taste bitter. Gentle heat, then patience!
- Step 4: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all the spices and orange peel. At this point, you can refrigerate the strained glogg for up to a week until you're ready to serve!
Make-ahead: This is what makes glogg perfect for entertaining. Do all the work days ahead, then just reheat when guests arrive!
- Step 5: When ready to serve, return the strained glogg to a saucepan over low heat. Add the raisins, blanched slivered almonds, and your spirit of choice. Warm gently. (Remember, no boiling!)
🥃 Liquor options: Norwegian glogg traditionally calls for aquavit, but this Swedish-style version uses spiced rum which adds a lovely warmth without the caraway flavor. Brandy or vodka work beautifully too. Or, skip the spirits entirely for a lighter version.
💡 Why blanched almonds? The skins on regular almonds can make your glogg bitter and leave an unpleasant texture. Look for blanched slivered almonds, or blanch them yourself - it only takes 5 minutes!
Ladle the warm glogg into mugs, making sure to scoop a few raisins and almonds into each glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange slice.
Serve immediately while warm - not scalding hot, just cozy! The raisins and almonds at the bottom are the cook's treat. 😉
🍵Want more warm & cozy drinks? Make sure to try our stovetop mulled apple cider and this apple cider hot buttered rum!
How to Serve Nordic Mulled Wine
Serve glogg as guests arrive to warm them up, then sit down to Swedish meatballs with stirred lingonberries for dinner. Finish with Finnish Christmas stars for dessert for the coziest Nordic Christmas spread! 🎄
Did you try this cozy Nordic glogg? Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! 🌟 This helps other readers find our recipes and encourages them to try them. Also, be sure to leave a comment with your experience. Follow along, and tag @AFullLiving on Instagram with your photos!
📖 Recipe
Glogg Recipe: Cozy Nordic Mulled Wine for Christmas
Equipment
- metal sieve (fine mesh strainer)
Ingredients
- 1 orange juiced, and peel removed and reserved, avoiding pith
- 12 whole cloves
- 12 whole cardamom pods crushed, include both pods and seeds
- 3 whole cinnamon sticks
- 5-6 slices fresh ginger
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 bottle red wine full-bodied (750 ml)
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 3 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds
- ⅓-1/2 cup aquavit, spiced rum, vodka, or brandy, (to taste, we used ⅓ cup of spiced rum because we like ours less boozy! )
- orange rounds and cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Gently crush cardamom pods in a mortal and pestle. Reserve both the pods and the seeds.12 whole cardamom pods
- Peel an orange and add the peel, along with the juice to a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and seeds, ginger slices, and brown sugar.1 orange, 12 whole cloves, 3 whole cinnamon sticks, 5-6 slices fresh ginger, ½ cup brown sugar
- Add the red wine, and very gently simmer the mixture to warm through. DON'T let the mixture boil, or you will cook out the alcohol!1 bottle red wine
- Cover, and remove it from the heat. Let it steep for at least 1 hour at room temperature, preferably 4 hours. Strain away the whole spices and fruit. You can store the wine like this in the fridge, covered for up to a week until you're ready to use it.
- To serve, return the mixture to a saucepan over low heat, do not boil the mixture. Add raisins, almonds, and the spirit of choice to the mixture.3 tablespoons raisins, ⅓-1/2 cup aquavit, spiced rum, vodka, or brandy,, 3 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds
- Ladle into mugs with a few of the raisins and almonds in each glass, leaving most at the bottom of the pot to flavor the liquid as it steeps.
- Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick, and an orange slice. Serve with Nordic-style gingerbread cookies (pepparkakor). Enjoy!orange rounds and cinnamon sticks
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Notes
- Make ahead: Prepare the base up to a week in advance - steep, strain, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, gently reheat and add the spirits, raisins, and almonds.
- Don't boil: This is the golden rule! Boiling cooks off the alcohol and makes the spices bitter. Gentle heat only.
- Liquor options: Norwegian glogg uses aquavit, but this Swedish-style version calls for spiced rum. Brandy or vodka also work - or skip spirits entirely for a lighter version.
- Non-alcoholic version: Replace the wine with cranberry or grape juice and omit the spirits. You may want to reduce or skip the brown sugar since the juice is already sweet.
- Blanched almonds: Use blanched slivered almonds - the skins can make the drink bitter.
- Storage: Strained glogg keeps refrigerated for up to one week. Reheat gently over low heat before serving.
- Serving: Serve warm (not scalding!) in small mugs with a few raisins and almonds in each glass. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Pairs perfectly with Swedish cardamom buns, Finnish Christmas Stars, or Swedish gingersnaps (pepparkakor)!
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