Germans to badly miss “mulled wine” this Christmas

Germany’s strict lockdown measures have put the lid on one remnant of seasonal frivolity: “Gluehwein” or mulled wine, a staple of Christmas markets normally served in steaming mugs on cold days in town squares around the nation.

A blanket outdoor alcohol ban, starting mid-week, was announced on Sunday among measures to curb the coronavirus second wave which has hit the mulled wine too.

Authorities have warned that the offenders would be fined.

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is a beverage usually made with red wine along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins. It is served hot or warm and is alcoholic, although there are non-alcoholic versions of it. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is served at Christmas markets in Europe

Glühwein (means “smoldering-wine”, from the temperature the wine is heated to) is popular in German-speaking countries. It is a traditional beverage offered during the Christmas holidays. The oldest documented Glühwein tankard is attributed to Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen, a German nobleman who was the first grower of Riesling grapes. This gold-plated lockable silver tankard is dated to c. 1420.

Glühwein is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, orange, sugar, and at times vanilla pods. It is sometimes drunk mit Schuss (with a shot), which means that rum or some other liquor has been added. Fruit wines, such as blueberry wine and cherry wine, are occasionally used instead of grape wine in some parts of Germany. There is also a variation of Glühwein which is made with white wine. However, white Glühwein is less popular than its red counterpart. For children, the non-alcoholic Kinderpunsch is offered on Christmas markets, which is a punch with similar spices.

Another popular variant of Glühwein in Germany is Feuerzangenbowle. It shares the same recipe, but for this drink, a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and allowed to drip into the wine.

#MulledWine # Glühwein #GermanWine #SpicedWine #ChristmasMarket #Kinderpunsch Feuerzangenbowle #TraditionalWine #AlcoholBan