Mulled wine comes from the Swedish word glögg or to heat up.

The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages when it was referred to as Ypoocras or Hipocris, named after the physician Hippocrates for its perceived health value.

It was believed to be healthy, as it was more sanitary than water, and during the cold winters this warmer likely did keep people from getting sick.

As years passed, spiced wine had lost momentum in most European countries, but the tradition survived in cold Nordic areas. In the 1890s mulled wine became a Swedish Christmas tradition and its popularity began to grow.

It is now enjoyed world wide in the winter.

Mulled wine starts with red wine, and then it’s spiced just right with hints of cinnamon, cloves, allspice and orange peel.

The combination of spices used will vary depending on the country you live in.

Lemon Orange Mulled Wine

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 orange

2 lemons

3 cinnamon sticks

12 cloves

2 bottles of Grand Cru Merlot or any red wine

Directions:

Simmer (but not boil) the water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves for 10 minutes. Add in the wine.

Peel the orange and lemons and add in the peels.

Let sit for a length of time to let the flavours seep in. Strain out the larger bits and serve warm.

For an extra special treat you can customize your wine by adding different ingredients and flavours to your mug.

Try adding nuts, fresh or dried fruit, spices and/or your favourite liqueurs (amaretto, port, brandy — the possibilities are endless) to make this wine your own.

This winter, come in from the cold, bake these delicious traditional Pepparkor cookies and enjoy with a warm mug of Mulled wine as you cheer on your favourite athletes in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Traditional

Pepparkor Cookies

Ingredients:

8 ounces butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cloves

1/4 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn syrup, orange juice and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Stir into the creamed mixture until combined. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into your favourite shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 minutes and cool cookies on wire racks. Enjoy with a warm mug of Mulled wine.

“Willie the Vintner,” a.k.a. “Brother William of the Esler Order,” is a long-time resident of Williams Lake, well known for his involvement in soccer and fudge making. He is the owner/operator of Borland Creek Brewing, a local U-Brew located at 199a N 3rd Ave., specializing in wine, beer coolers and ciders. Willie can be contacted at 250-398-8826 or bo rlandcreek@telus.net.

The web page for Borland Creek is bor landcreek.com.

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