Warm Up With A Cup Of Glogg

Friday, January 15th, 2016 by

Glogg

Our first snow here in New Jersey may have been a light dusting that melted quickly, but we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate winter with this warm, spicy, and boozy Scandinavian drink. Glogg literally means “to glow,” which is exactly what you can expect from your face after a cup or two. It packs a punch. Unlike German mulled wine, vodka and port are added after wine is simmered with spices to ensure no loss of alcoholic potency. Flavored with orange peel, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, the aroma is a wonderful greeting after shoveling or brushing off a flake or two as the case may be.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1 bottle inexpensive red wine, dry
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cloves, whole
  • 2 star anise (optional)
  • 1/2 orange (zest only)
  • 2 generous slices fresh ginger
  • For serving: 1 cup sliced almonds and 1 cup raisins

Directions

Add the orange peel, spices, ginger, and wine to a large saucepan. Heat on low to just below a simmer. Stir in the sugar and cover. Leave the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes, then add the port and vodka and heat until warm. Strain into a heat safe bowl or pitcher. Glogg is traditionally ladled over nuts and raisins (which you can soak in vodka while the wine simmers) in a small cup. You can skip this if you prefer not to eat things at the bottom of your glass. You can easily prepare the wine ahead of time, reheating gently before adding the vodka and port to serve.

A word about the ingredients: there are many variations on this recipe, and it may take some experimentation to create the sweetness and spice level you prefer. The port and sugar make for a sweet drink, so stick with a less sweet wine and adjust the sugar level to your preference. Star anise tends to dominate flavor wise, and may be added at the end (rather than simmered) as a garnish only for a more subtle flavor.

For a nonalcoholic version, check out this recipe for cranberry glogg.

Show Your True Colors With Irish Pride Tea

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012 by

Ever notice that green gets all the attention on St. Patrick’s Day?

Yes, we know it’s called the Emerald Isle and there’s no denying that it’s great fun to celebrate the holiday decked out in all green. Drinking green milk shakes and green beer, and eating snacks mysteriously dyed green has become a strange but festive tradition.

But green, white and orange are equally represented on the flag of Ireland – where are these other colors? Why do white and orange get left out of the fun??

Call us hippies if you want, but we believe in equality — Our Irish Pride Tea is Green, White and Orange!

GREEN: There are many green teas, but Dragonwell Lung Ching is often considered the quintessential green tea. Full flavored, with less of a vegetal taste than other greens, Dragonwell is the perfect base for our Irish Pride tea.

WHITE: Next we mix in our premium Peony White tea. White teas are made by picking only the youngest leaves and buds then steaming and drying immediately, before oxidation can occur. This process leaves the tea with a subtle, earthy flavor. Mixed with the Dragonwell green tea, Peony White makes for a balanced cup — perfect for anyone who is used to hearty black teas but wants to try something new.

ORANGE: The final piece to our St. Paddy’s Day puzzle is orange. Real orange peel and a splash of orange flavor make the green and white teas come alive.

The key to a truly great tea blend is simplicity. Sure we could have added random flower petals, extra flavors and maybe some herbs you never heard of which would raise the price and “ooh factor” of the tea but add little to no actual taste. Much like the flag of Ireland, green, white and orange are all you need.

Represent all your true colors with Irish Pride Tea now before it’s too late. This tea is available on the web for a limited time — unlike that green food dye, that stuff stains!

New Holiday Teas

Thursday, November 11th, 2010 by

Halloween is finally behind us, it’s getting colder by the day, and the days are getting shorter. That can only mean one thing: the holiday season is upon us! (more…)