The other night I was out with friends and we got to finally sample some mulled wine. It was Christmas in a glass, and it was awesome.

Glühwein, or "glow wine," is a spiced drink from German-speaking countries. It is the traditional beverage offered during the Christmas holidays, and is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar.

In Bulgaria, it is called greyano vino ("heated wine"), and consists of red wine, honey and peppercorn. Sometimes apples and/or citrus fruits, such as lemon or oranges, can be added.

In Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia, kuhano vino ("cooked wine"), is made from red wine and various combinations of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, sugar and orange zest, often served with slices of orange or lemon.

Nordic Gløgg or Glögg is found in Nordic countries (sometimes misspelled as glog or glug). This is normally made from red wine, sugar, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, and optionally also stronger spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy.

To prepare glögg, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to 140-158 °F. The temperature should not be allowed to rise above 173.12 °F in order to avoid evaporation of the alcohol. When preparing home-made glögg using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving. In Sweden, ready-made wine glögg is normally sold at Systembolaget ready to heat and serve, and not in concentrate or extract form. Glögg is generally served with raisins, blanched almonds and Ginger biscuits (Ginger Snaps), and is a popular hot drink during the Christmas season.

You can often find mulled wine kits in stores, which will include the spices and sugar you need to prepare your drink. But it is just as easy to gather it all yourself.

A wonderful recipe can be found at Jamie Oliver's site here.