Japanese Gluhwein (Mulled Wine)

There's nothing more comforting on a chilly winter evening than a warm mug of glühwein, the German hot wine mulled with spices and citrus. Commercial versions tend to be too sweet and artificial tasting for me, so I like to make my own blend at home. Lately, I've been making a hybrid Japanese-German version steeped with fresh yuzu, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.

Traditional glühwein can be served mit Schuss—with a shot of rum or another spirit added to the mug to fortify it while introducing another aromatic dimension. For my Japanese twist, I add umeshu, a sweet and fragrant plum liqueur. It brings some sweetness to the mix, but because yuzu is quite tart, I also add a bit of honey to mellow out the acidity without making the glühwein cloying. As for the wine itself, you want something medium-bodied with fruity berry notes—think pinot noir, merlot, malbec, or zinfandel. You don't need anything fancy as long as it doesn't have a ton of tannins and is easy to drink. I used a $10 bottle of No Bull Zinfandel from Puglia.

One important thing to keep in mind: ethanol vaporizes at around 172°F (78°C), so you want to avoid raising the temperature above that point. The way I do this is to bring the mixture right to the brink, cover it with a lid, and give the aromatics some time to infuse off the heat. This gentle approach keeps the alcohol content intact while letting all those spices work their magic.