Hot German Wine (Glühwein)

Do you want to make the best hot German wine that tastes just like the ones they serve on Christmas markets? Then, follow this easy Glühwein recipe to learn how to make traditional German mulled wine. It is super flavorful, perfectly spiced, lightly sweetened and tastes better than any store-bought mulled wine. You might also like this non-alcoholic virgin mulled wine recipe.

What is Glühwein?

Glühwein is nothing else than mulled wine. Literally translated, it means "glow wine" because of the warming feeling it provides on cold winter nights during the Christmas holidays.

In Germany, Glühwein is what Christmas markets are all about. You will also find it as "vin chaud" in France (especially in the Alsace region) or "glogg" in Nothern European countries. Some people like to serve it at holiday gatherings or drink it after skiing.

This special winter drink is a combination of red wine, citrus fruits, spices and a little sugar. While it might sound complex, making mulled wine is actually really easy: add all the ingredients to a pot, heat it over low heat for about half an hour and let it rest. Once it's ready, sip it slowly until your mug is empty. You can also drink German spiced wine "mit Schuss", meaning that you can add a shot of rum, brandy or whiskey.

Glühwein ingredients and spices

• Red wine is the base of this recipe. I gathered my best tips on how to choose a good wine for Glühwine down below.
• Orange juice naturally sweetens the wine and adds a citrusy touch. I like adding juice rather than only infusing the wine with orange slices for a more pronounced citrus taste.
• Sugar is needed to balance out the acidity of the wine. You can use regular white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup for a slight toffee or maple flavor.
• Spices are an essential component of Glühwein. This recipe calls for cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper. You could also add star anise, vanilla or ginger. Most grocery stores also sell spice bags or mulled wine spice kits (also known as Glühfix in Germany), which are very handy if you don't want to buy each spice separately. We would however recommend buying a kit that contains whole spices instead of powder.

Secret ingredient: I love adding a bag of cinnamon tea to our Glühwein. Although that might not be part of the traditional hot German wine recipe, it makes a huge difference in flavor. The "Hot Cinnamon Spice" from Harney & Sons is my absolute favorite.

What is the best wine for Glühwein?

• Type: choose a young red wine that is dry or semi-dry with low tannin content. If you choose a sweet wine, it can be difficult to adapt the amount of sugar in the recipe and it can quickly become overly sweet.
• Variety: you can choose a German Dornfelder or Trollinger. Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon wines also work extremely well for mulled wine.
• Price: no need to splurge on an expensive bottle, simply choose a wine of mid-range quality. Avoid expensive wines as the spices and heating process will alter their taste. But also stay away from very cheap wines as you will be able to taste the poor quality (they might be too acidic and you'd have to compensate with additional sugar).

Elo's tips

1. Dry roast your spices: dry roasting means roasting the spices in a heated skillet without added oil. The reason you should not avoid this step is that it makes a huge difference in flavor by releasing all the aromatic compounds.
2. Peel the oranges before you slice them to avoid the wine from getting bitter.
3. Add a sweetener: sweetening your wine is crucial to making the most delicious mulled wine and preventing it from being too acidic. This recipe calls for brown sugar and maple syrup. You could however also sweeten your wine with just orange or apple juice.
4. Do not boil the wine to prevent the alcohol from evaporating. Keep it over low heat (below 78°C / 172°F) for about half an hour.
5. Let it rest for another hour once you remove it from the heat. During the resting time, the flavors expand and intensify.

Step-by-step with pictures

STEP 1: Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a knife to release their aroma.

STEP 2: Prep the oranges. Juice 3 oranges with a citrus juicer. Peel and slice two other oranges.

Watch the video!

Storage and reheating tips

Refrigerating tips. First, let the hot German wine cool down completely. Then, transfer it to a bottle using a funnel or use an air-tight container (e.g., Weck jar). The Glühwein can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.

Freezing tips. Mulled wine can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave a little room in the container to prevent overflow. You can freeze single-cup portions or an entire batch. Defrost the wine in the fridge overnight before reheating it.

Reheating tips. You can reheat the wine over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. In either case, make sure the wine is not boiling to prevent alcohol evaporation. Reheat it at 20-30 seconds intervals if using the microwave.

Frequently asked questions