The Traditional Glögg Recipe That’ll Transport You to a Swedish Christmas
A traditional warmed wine beverage perfect for the festive season
Imagine the coziest winter night in Stockholm: snow falling softly outside, candlelight flickering, and the intoxicating aroma of spiced wine simmering on the stove. That’s glögg—Scandinavia’s answer to mulled wine, and honestly, they might have perfected it.
This isn’t your average spiced wine; glögg (pronounced “glue-gh”) is bolder, spicier, and wonderfully warming, designed for long Nordic nights and even longer conversations with loved ones.
Across Scandinavia, you’ll find slight variations—gløgg in Denmark and Norway, glögi in Finland and Estonia—but the heart remains the same: a communal drink meant for sharing.
This Swedish-inspired recipe captures the traditional magic, though every Scandinavian grandmother probably has her own secret twist. Ready to bring a taste of Nordic winter to your home?
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This recipe is part of our favourite Christmas Cocktails series. You may also like to check out our non-alcoholic drinks collection for perfect Christmas Mocktails.
Tools You Will Need for Making Glögg
- Saucepan
- Strainer or cheesecloth
- Zester
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Glasses of your choice – a tall handled glass looks attractive, but a brandy glass looks great too.
Find all our favourite tools for your home cocktail bar here.
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Swedish Glögg
A wonderful winter warming recipe perfect for festive occasions you can cook this recipe in advance to save yourself time and stovetop space!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 serves
Ingredients
25.4oz bottle red wine
25.4oz bottle of port
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons of raisins
2 tablespoons freshly sliced ginger
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed
1 stick of cinnamon
2 tablespoons slivered/blanched almonds
Garnish: optional slices of orange and extra raisins, cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan first until the sugar is dissolved
- Add wine, port, brandy, orange zest, raisins, ginger, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon to the saucepan and heat on a low temperature for 30 minutes
- Set aside to steep for a further 30 minutes
- Strain and remove the fruits and spices
- Serve straight away or reheat the pot before serving
- Serve into wine glasses or your favourite glass mug, garnish with a sprinkle of almonds, raisins and a slice of orange or cinnamon stick
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Cocktails
Variations to the Swedish Glögg Recipe
This is but one take on the Swedish recipe! Even amongst the Swedish cooks and food bloggers I studied trying to perfect this recipe at home, I’ve found many variations!
Many suggest replacing the port with bourbon; only port should be used, not red wine. Alternatively, a full measure of brandy can be used in equal parts with the wine & port. Indeed, it might still taste nice, but it is a fairly potent blend. Most types of brandy and bourbon are around 40% ABV. Port is only around 20% ABV.
As the slivered almonds seem to be a common theme, why not also throw in a dash of amaretto? You need to experiment wwith hat works best, it’s a fun game of stovetop guesswork, just make sure there’s some left for your guests to try!
Non-Alcoholic Glögg
A good non-alcoholic version of glögg is to replace the wine and port with grape juice and apple juice. You will still get all the same wonderful spicy aromas, but without the boozy component.
Another alternative is blackcurrant juice with its deep color and berry flavors. I mane mine in two pots side by side so the adults and kids can enjoy it.
Make Glögg Ahead of Time
Glögg is a fabulous batch party drink and a great make-ahead recipe if you have a busy cooking day ahead. Simmer, steep, and strain, then all you need to do is reheat your glögg when ready to serve. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks after cooking.
How to Serve Your Glögg
This is completely up to you. I can find no evidence that there is one particular traditional way. Some like it served in a brandy balloon glass, while others like the tall handled coffee-cup/hot toddy style glasses.
You can also garnish as you please. Make sure the almonds are blanched/slivered; otherwise, they can leave a bitter finish.
Drinking Glögg Cold
Whilst traditionally seen as a winter drink, glögg can be served like a sangria chilled in the summer over ice.
More Christmas Drinks Ideas
As well as checking out our complete guide to Christmas cocktails, you may also be interested in our Christmas gift guides for drink-lovers. I cover everything from stylish glassware for your drinks cabinet through to our favourite gifts for lovers of mulled wine!
If you’re still seeking out that perfect gift idea or stocking stuffer, pop on over for some inspiration here >>
Let me know if you have given our glögg recipe a try in the comments below. Have you made any changes to the quantities or added any secret ingredients to tailor the recipe to your taste?
Little Party Pixie advocates quality over quantity. Always drink responsibly!
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