[Photo: Pouring glögg into glasses / Credit: saket_vora]

If you are a red wine fan and have tried sangria, give these flavorful treats a try.  For a large crowd, make some glögg. Of Scandinavian origin, this is sure to please your pals. In a large, non-reactive sauce-pan, blend one bottle of a nice fruity red wine-Beaujolais, Zinfandel, Dornfelder-with one bottle of brandy. This can be Spanish, German, Italian; whatever your preference is. Add about one cup dark and golden raisins mixed, two cinnamon sticks, two tablespoons of toasted cardamom seeds, a two inch long piece of orange zest and maybe a couple of cloves. Sweeten to taste. Heat to a very warm temperature but do not go over 165°F or you will start to boil off the alcohol, which is part of the warming process! Strain and serve very warm in mugs or Irish coffee glasses. No whole spices, please!

For glühwein, which is similar, leave out the brandy and add a second bottle of red wine, using cinnamon, cloves, whole nutmeg and some sugar and warm as for glögg. Orange peel studded with cloves adds a nice touch. Stir while you are warming the mixture to insure all the sugar is dissolved.

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