Old-Fashioned Swedish Glogg
Ingredients
5 (750 milliliter) bottles port wine
1 (750 milliliter) bottle 100 proof
bourbon whiskey
1 (750 milliliter) bottle white rum
3 whole cardamom pods, cracked
1 small cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 (3 inch) strip of orange peel
1 (8 inch) square of cheesecloth
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (15 ounce) package dark raisins
1 (6 ounce) package blanched
slivered almonds
Directions to make Old-Fashioned Swedish Glogg,
Heat the port wine over medium heat until just below the simmer
point in a large stockpot with a lid. Add bourbon and rum, and bring
back to just below simmering. Save the bottles and their caps for
storing leftover glogg.
While the wine and liquors are heating, place the cardamom,
cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel onto the center of the
square of cheesecloth. Gather together the edges of the
cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
When mixture is very hot but not boiling, carefully light it with a
long-handled match. Wearing a heatproof cooking mitt, carefully
pour the sugar into the flames, and let the mixture burn for 1 minute.
Put the lid on the stockpot to extinguish the flames, and turn off the
heat. Let the mixture cool, covered, for about 10 minutes; add the
cheesecloth bundle of spices and the raisins and almonds to the
warm wine mixture and let it cool to room temperature, about 1
hour.
Strain the cooled glogg and reserve the raisins and almonds.
To store, pour strained glogg into the bottles, recap, and keep
upright in a cool dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate the
steeped raisins and almonds in a covered bowl or jar for up to 1
year.
To serve, pour glogg into a saucepan and warm over low-medium
heat until hot but not simmering, about 5 minutes. Ladle 3 ounces
of warmed glogg into a small coffee cup or small Swedish-style
glogg mug, and garnish each serving with a few reserved raisins
and almonds.