Christmas traditions: Glüwein

In these times we would like to bring you a little closer to Engel & Völkers. We would like to share with you one of the most typical Christmas traditions in Germany, the country where Engel & Völkers has its origins: the Glühwein.

The tradition of Christmas markets is well known, although from the warmth of the Canary Islands, we could be shocked by the fact they also take place in the coldest European countries. This can be easier to understand once we get yto know the tradition of drinking Glühwein while walking through them. Glühwein is the typical drink of this festive season. It consists of a spiced wine wichi is served very hot. This will also surprise the more Mediterranean side of the continent, from whose perspective, serving wine in this way may be seen as an aberration. However, the surprise will be even greater when we realize that it is really good.

Few things will evoke the spirit of Christmas as much as walking through the stalls full of lights, listening to Christmas carols in the background, wrapped in a good scarf and several layers of warm clothes, and feeling the smell of spices flooding everything. That feeling is, with no doubt, the definition of the magic of Christmas. We definetly can not help tasting that wine served steaming in a mug, surrendering to its flavor and to the warmth it gives us.

 The cups have different motifs related to the holidays and usually vary from one stall to another. And even though, you can return it and get the deposit back, there are those who decide to take it with them and increase a varied collection of unique mugs, year after year.

Engel & Völkers proposes the following recipe to encourage you to try it at home.

Ingredients for 6 people:



Decent quality red wine 750 ml

Brown sugar 80 g

Bay leaf 1

Cardamom 4

Cloves 6

Cinnamon stick small 2 or large 1

Star anise 2

Ground nutmeg 1 pinch

Lemon 1

Orange 1



Preparation:



In a large pot, put all the spices, the orange peel and the lemon. Add the sugar and heat until the aromas begin to emanate. Wet the bottom with the wine, just covering the sugar until it is dissolved.



Add the rest of the wine, mixing well all the ingredients with a wooden spoon and heat it over medium heat. Let the mixture heat over medium heat, without boiling, stirring from time to time.



We can adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar or we can give it more body by adding a little liqueur, whiskey or brandy.

To serve, strain the drink and add a few slices of fruit or cinnamon sticks for decoration.



We hope you finally decide to try the recipe at home and you enjoy as much as we do one of the most characteristic flavors of German Christmas.