Non-Alcoholic Glühwein

Non-Alcoholic Glühwein (Mulled Wine)

Glühwein is a popular hot drink in Germany around Christmas time and it is similar to spiced cider or sangria.  If you haven't been to a German Christmas market, you may not have had the chance to try Glühwein.  It's hot wine (or juices) mulled with spices. When it's cold outside or when you're wandering the Christmas market, this drink is really nice to have!  The problem is, ready made Glühwein can be difficult and expensive to buy in the US and it’s full of sugar and alcohol.  For those two reason I decided to try my hand at a homemade alcohol free version.  The beauty of making your own Glühwein mix is that you can adjust the sweetness to your personal liking.  Vegan granulated sugar is used in the recipe below, however coconut sugar or rock candy can be subbed in for the sugar using the same measurements. 

Bonus:  Preparing this drink will make your home smell like Christmas. 

I N G R E D I E N T S  

• about 2 liter unsweetened Grape Juice
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Apple Juice
• a thumb of fresh Ginger;  sliced
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks or 1 Tbsp. ground Cinnamon
• 7 Star Anise
• 2 pieces of Cloves
• 1 Orange;  the peel and juice
• 1 Lemon;  the peel and juice
• 3 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1/8 tsp. Salt

P R E P A R A T I O N  

1. To start, wash and clean the orange and the lemon and then peel the skin into one long ribbon for the orange and one for the lemon.
2. In a large pot, heat the sugar, spices and the lemon and orange peel for about two minutes and then press the juice of the lemon and the orange into the pot and also add the grape and apple juice.
3. Heat this mixture on medium for about 20-40 minutes, but don’t let it come to a boil. 
4. Give the mixture a taste test to see if the spice is strong enough for you. If not, let it sit a little longer.  If you like the way it tastes and feel the essence of the spices coating your mouth, add a dash to salt to the mix, stir and remove the pot from the heat. The small dash of salt has the ability to bring out the spice flavors more, elevating flavors to the next level. 
5. Sieve out the spice additions and serve in a mug!  

       Nina

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