Glogg

"It has none of the coma-inducing sweetness of mulled cider, let alone the melted ice cream overkill of eggnog. Instead, it combines the robustness of a serious wine with the headiness of a strong martini. It also goes surprisingly well with food, which is no small consideration on a Champagne recovery day."

Glogg varies. Traditionally the spiced wine is set afire and poured over sugar so that the granules melt into the punch, adding just enough sweetness to smooth the bitter edge.

TRADITIONAL GLOGG
Time: 40 minutes

1/4 cup raisins*
1 cup blanched whole almonds*
6 cardamom pods*
Pinch ground nutmeg*
6 cloves*
2 sticks cinnamon*
1 teaspoon dried ground orange peel*
(available where spices are sold)
1/3-inch piece fresh ginger*
1 bottle dry red wine
1 1/2 cups aquavit
5 ounces cube sugar

1. In a large stainless steel or other nonreactive saucepan, combine the *. Add the red wine, and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Add the aquavit and place over low heat until steaming, but do not boil.

2. Place the sugar cubes on a flameproof perforated ladle. Carefully light the glogg with a long match; low blue flames will dance on the surface (be careful of face, hair, and hands). Hold the ladle with the sugar over the pan, and use a second ladle to scoop up the burning glogg and pour it over the sugar. Continue until the sugar melts into the pan. Put out the fire by covering the pan with a lid. (If you do not wish to light the glogg, the sugar can be added to the pan with the spices, and stirred until dissolved.)

3. Serve glogg very warm in small cups with a few almonds and raisins in each.

Yield: 5 1/2 cups (10-12 servings).

HIGH-OCTANE GLOGG
Time: 10 minutes

1 quart aquavit
2 bottles inexpensive dry red wine
1 bottle ruby port
5 tablespoons sugar
4 cardamom pods
12 whole cloves
12 allspicberries
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup blanched, slivered almonds
1 cup golden raisins

Combine all ingredients but almonds and raisins in large enameled or stainless steel pot. Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, and heat just until liquid starts to steam, about 10 minutes. To serve, place a couple of almonds and raisins each in small cups and ladle glogg over.

Yield: 1 gallon.

The first recipe was adapted from Jan Wickstrom, executive chef to the Swedish consul general. Remember that Wikings, as the word is pronounced in Norway (or Norge, as they spell it on their postal stamps), had a lot of practice drinking until the government put a clamp on all things alcoholic.

The word "berserk" is a Norwegian adjective, "berserker" is a Viking term, and Vikings were Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish. They went berserk in the summertime, too, when they tried to drink to get to sleep during the midsummer when there wasn't much nighttime. More Icelanders are alcoholics than any other nationality. Too far north. You don't hear about Laplanders being alcoholics, but that may be because they have only reindeer, and they keep moving about, and stills are too cumbersome to pack onto reindeer as the North People travel hither, thither, and yon.

Caution: Fire is dangerous in the hands of folks who have had a few slugs of glogg. Have a fire extinguisher ready or invite a fireman to the party. He'll know what to do in case of rash behavior.

Remember to say "Skol!" before your first sip. The glass is raised high as the wish is cried out. There's a long o in "Skol." It rhymes with "shoal." Glasses are not thrown against the fireplace. That's English.