"mulled wine" news and stories

Warm spiced wine sounds more fun when you call it glögg, its Swedish name. And in the hands of Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson, making it becomes more of a Nordic adventure, too. Winter nights are made for this fragrant brew of red wine, vodka, cinnamon, ginger, fruit, and sugar. Cozy up to a fire tonight and pour steaming mugs for the holiday crowd. Skøl!

Watch Marcus Samuelsson's video how-to for warm mulled wine (and hear him say glögg as only a Swede can).
Warm Mulled Wine Recipe.

'Tis the season for holiday parties! I'm bringing the food and beverages to a cookie exchange this week, and I've decided to make some mulled wine for the occasion. Wine people tell you when you're cooking with wine or using it as a base for other drinks, you still want something drinkable, and I absolutely agree with that. But I wouldn't waste a $20 bottle in a heated, spiked drink or on a big crowd of party-goers. Instead, I turn to box wine as the ideal party wine. Why?

• Box wine is inexpensive (around $20 for the equivalent of four bottles), and the quality has gotten much, much better over the years.
• Boxes are lightweight, easier to transport, and greener than glass bottles, so when you're serving in quantity, those numbers add up.
• Box wines stay fresh for a month after opening because of the vacuum seal, unlike bottles, which should be refrigerated and drunk within 3 days if possible.

Now, let's be clear that boxed wine will not blow away the connoisseurs in your group, but it's a great budget-friendly choice for parties. If you're serving it as is, decant it for a classier look. When your guests ask what it is, be mysterious: "Oh, just a little something I picked up the other day when I took the private jet out to California for an afternoon meeting."

Here are a few decent box wines to try:

Bota Box Pinot Grigio or Shiraz ($16)
Black Box Merlot or Shiraz ($22)
Banrock Station Chardonnay or Shiraz ($19)

My mulled wine recipe is after the jump.

According to an AP report, two women were hospitalized after a New Zealand cafe mistakenly served dishwashing liquid as mulled wine. I'm not a wine expert and rarely bother with the whole sniff and swirl before drinking. I'm assuming these poor women also neglected that step. Are you even supposed to do that with mulled wine? Anyway, ewww!

When I was kid, I once killed a plant by pouring window cleaner into it instead of water. At least these women wisely stopped drinking after experiencing a burning sensation on the lips and mouth and thus lived to tell the tale.

Have you ever made a regretful liquid mix-up or perhaps drank wine that was so bad it tasted like dish soap? Share your story in the comments.

[via Gut Check]

While you're thinking about what to serve for this holiday season, here's something else to think about: AOL Food's quiz on holiday foods. Ten questions on everything from advocaat and candy canes to mulled wine and pfeffernusse.

I got eight out of ten, which is better than I usually do with these quizzes. One I guessed on and got right, and another one I got because they showed a picture that was a huge clue.

With all the holidays coming up, we here at Slashfood want to help you celebrate and share some recipes with you. Hot or cold they're all good, and just the thing to put you in a party mood. Some of my favorites are hot drinks like mulled cider with rum and mulled wine. They're easy to make and you can control how strong they are, so you don't get obliterated at the beginning of your party, or fall asleep on your guests late at night.

Mulled Wine
Buy mulling spices or use a mix of cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and some citrus zest or slices of any type. Take a bottle of inexpensive but decent red wine and pour into a pot, add the mulling spices and zest, bring to a low simmer for five minutes, then strain into a mug. To control the strength and make the wine a bit less potent you can add some fruit juice such as orange, apple, cranberry, pomegranate, etc. before warming it up.

Mulled Sweet Apple Cider with Rum
Buy mulling spices or use a mix of cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and citrus zest or slices. Add to sweet apple cider in a pot and bring to a simmer for five minutes then strain, pour into a mug and add a shot of rum of your preference.