Three Festive German Hot Drinks Posted by Larissa on Nov 30, 2020 in Food, Holidays
Next week is already December and as the months get colder I crave for some festive drinks!
Here are three festive hot drinks that you will typically find in German Christmas markets or at home during the festive period.
Glühwein – Mulled Wine
The most well-known drink for the hot months is Glühwein. This is hot red wine cooked with sugar and spices such as Zimtstangen (cinnamon sticks), Nelken (cloves) and Sternanis (star anise). There are also other variations such as Weisser Glühwein (white mulled wine) which is made from white wine, or with a shot of rum added to your drink (Glühwein mit Schuss – mulled wine with shot) to really warm you up. You find that the alcohol percentage of Gühwein ranges from 7% to 14%, depending on the quality of the wine and if any water is added to it. You can find out more about this winter warmer in my other post here.
Kinderpunsch – Children’s Punch
This is an unalcoholic version of Glühwein for children and anyone who wants to enjoy a winter warmer without the alcohol! This drink is made up of tea and juice and also has similar spices to Glühwein, along with slices of orange and lemon.
Feuerzangenbowle – Fire Punch
Similar to Glühwein, this festive drink contains mulled wine and very similar spices. Feuerzangenbowle literally translates to “fire tongs punch”. You’re probably wondering what the difference between Glühwein and Feuerzangenbowle is, this would be the added sugar cube that is dipped into rum, added to your drink and lit on fire. At the Christmas market you will find this drink served in mugs with an extended part to put the sugar cube on. The added flame adds a wow effect and the rum with sugar gives Feuerzangenbowle a different taste to Glühwein.
Feuerzangenbowle – own photo.
Do you have any favorite drinks to enjoy during the winter months? Let me know if you have tried any of the above! I will be adding the recipes to all three drinks in my next posts.
Thank you for reading,
Larissa
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About the Author: Larissa
Hello I'm Larissa. I live in Germany and I am half German and half English. I love sharing my passion for Germany with you through my posts! Apart from writing posts I teach fitness classes in Munich.
Comments:
Paul James:
I loved the piece on German Festive Hot Drinks. I lived in Düsseldorf for 8 years and I remember my first Weihnachtsmarkt and my first encounter with Feuerzangenbowle – actually that’s a lie, as I remember very little – having previously sampled everything on offer including Eierpunsch – mit Schuss !
Larissa:
@Paul James Hello Paul,
Thank you so much for your comment! I am glad you enjoyed the post, testing everything at the Weihnachtsmarkt is a must! Espeically mit Schuss haha, I hope you enjoy my next post with all the recipes to these drinks.
Larissa