Guide
How to make mulled wine – Swedish glögg, your way
There are two ways to make your own glögg. The quick way: heat red wine with whole spices and sugar – ready the same evening. The slow way: brew dunderglögg, a fermented glögg that matures for three weeks on small beer, potato, yeast, sugar and spices. Here you'll find recipes, a master formula and tips for both.
Quick guide: how to make mulled wine step by step
- Pour red wine (ideally with a splash of port) into a saucepan.
- Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, dried ginger and bitter orange peel.
- Sweeten with caster sugar to taste – start with 100 ml per bottle of wine.
- Heat gently to 70–80°C (160–175°F). Never let it boil – the alcohol and spice flavour will disappear.
- Let it steep for 20–30 minutes with the lid on.
- Strain and serve warm with raisins and blanched almonds.
Want to go deeper? See our classic mulled wine, the master recipe for your own fermented glögg or the full spice guide.
Start here
Master recipe – the basic principle for making your own glögg
Learn the master formula: liquid, potato, yeast, sugar, fruit and spices. Vary the base and build a classic, fruity, berry, sweet or fresh glögg.
Read the master recipe →Mulled wine, hot drinks and cold cocktails
Classic glögg made with red wine and a spice extract. Ready the same evening. Or try something new with cold glögg cocktails.
Mulled wine – the classic red wine glögg
Classic home-made mulled wine with red wine, port and whole spices. Ready in one evening.
Star anise glögg
Fragrant mulled wine with star anise, orange and cinnamon – a soft liquorice note.
Hot spiced apple cider
A fresh, spicy glögg variation on apple cider with cinnamon, vanilla and apple slices.
Lingonberry glögg with Swedish punsch & vanilla
Berry-forward mulled wine with lingonberries, red wine, Swedish punsch, vanilla and classic Christmas spices.
Eggnog – homemade Swedish-style eggnog
Creamy eggnog with egg yolks, cream, milk, nutmeg and vanilla – with or without brandy.
5 cold glögg cocktails
Refreshing drinks with glögg: bubbly, sour, sangria, spritz and mule. Perfect for mingling.
Apple glögg with cognac
Full-bodied apple glögg made with cider or apple wine, Christmas spices, brown sugar and a round cognac note.
White wine glögg with cognac and orange
Light and elegant glögg made with white wine, orange, cinnamon and cognac. Let it steep overnight.
Fermented glögg (dunderglögg)
Home-fermented glögg made from small beer, juice or julmust with potato, yeast, spices and sugar – matures over at least three weeks and only gets better with time.
Fermented glögg – the classic
Fermented glögg made from small beer, potato, spices and sugar. Matures over three weeks.
Apple glögg – golden fermented glögg
A fruity, golden fermented glögg made from apple juice with spices and a long fermentation.
Cranberry glögg – deep red fermented glögg
A beautifully deep red fermented glögg with a berry flavour and gentle tartness.
Blackcurrant glögg – red fermented glögg
A full-bodied red fermented glögg made from blackcurrant juice with deep berry flavour.
Julmust glögg – sweet fermented glögg
Sweet, playful fermented glögg made from julmust – round spiciness with a twist.
Lemon and liquorice glögg
Light, fresh and spiced fermented glögg with a citrus note and soft liquorice character.
Berry glögg with blueberry, raspberry and vanilla
Fruity fermented glögg made from small beer with blueberry, raspberry, vanilla and classic Christmas spices.
Frequently asked questions about making glögg
How long should glögg steep?
Warmed mulled wine is best when the spices steep for 20–30 minutes at 70–80°C. For a deeper flavour, add the spices to the wine the day before and reheat gently. Fermented dunderglögg should sit undisturbed for at least three weeks, ideally a fourth week to clear.
Should glögg be boiled?
No. Boiling drives off both the alcohol and the spice flavour. Keep the temperature around 70–80°C – that's enough to dissolve the sugar and release the spices' flavour.
What spices are used in glögg?
The classic glögg spices are cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole cloves, dried ginger and bitter orange peel. Common additions include star anise, vanilla, orange peel and nutmeg. See our full spice guide.
What's the difference between mulled wine and fermented glögg?
Mulled wine is red wine that's heated and spiced – ready the same evening. Fermented glögg is a home-brewed drink where small beer, must or juice ferments with potato, yeast, sugar and spices for three weeks, becoming a drink all of its own.