Weihnachten (Christmas), drink, based on mulled wine, sugar, rum and flames. It isn't necessary to use the fancy sugar cone seen here, and its popularity has been increased by a cult, especially amongst those of student age, which has grown around a famous and still popular black and white comedy film produced in 1944's wartime Germany. Called ‘Die Feuerzangenbowle’ it features a middle aged writer, played by an iconic German actor of the time Heinz Ruehmann, who, having drunk rather too much from a very alcoholic Feuerzangenbowle, decides to disguise himself and become a pupil at a high school. This was an experience that he had missed as being born into a wealthy family he had been privately educated at home, and the film covers the chaos the writer and his much younger classmates cause once he arrives at the school.
A classic German mulled wine drink, Feuerzangenbowle is a delicious mixture with a real kick, is fun to make and to see, and is thoroughly enjoyable to drink.
FEUERZANGENBOWLE - A Mulled Wine Drink
Ingredients: For 10-12 glasses - Takes about 30 minutes
2 oranges (unwaxed and untreated if possible)
2 lemons (unwaxed and untreated if possible)
3 bottles red wine, not a light wine (2 to 3 litres)
2 sticks cinnamon, about 2-3 inches long
5 cloves
1 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp allspice
½ lb sugar cone (Zuckerhut), a solid piece of sugar, or ½ lb sugar cubes
1 bottle brown rum (at least 54% alcohol otherwise it will not flame, but anything over 60% gives a very high flame)
Wash the oranges and lemons thoroughly, dry and cut into thin slices.
Put red wine, oranges, lemons, cinnamon and cloves into a large pot. Heat slowly until just below boiling point, do not allow to boil.
It is a fun experience to sit around the pot while the sugar melts and drips into the wine, so if you have a fondue heater or something similar, and would like to use the Feuerzangenbowle as a table centre piece, the pot can be removed from the heat at this point and put onto the alternative heating source. Add the ginger or all spice.
Place the sugar loaf or sugar cubes above the red wine mixture (about 1 inch above the surface). In Germany there are special "fire tongs" made for this purpose, however a grate, a plain aluminum cooling rack, fish rack from a barbecue or wire netting can be substituted.
Soak the sugar loaf or sugar cubes with rum and light up the alcohol. The safest way is to put rum into a small metal scoop or large spoon and light it away from the Feuerzangenbowle, then pouring the flaming liquid over the sugar. The sugar will begin to melt into a runny caramel and drip into the mulled wine punch. Make sure that the hot melting sugar can not drip outside the pot, and as the flame dies away add rum gradually to keep the fire burning until all the sugar has melted.
Remove Feuerzangenbowle from heat, stir gently, add a measure of additional rum stir once more and serve.
Remove spices and fruit, the orange or lemon wedges can be added to
individual servings, or they can also be put on one side to used sometime later as a dessert with a dash of cream.Serve your Feuerzangenbowle in heatproof glasses or mugs.
Prost!..........And ENJOY your very special mulled wine.....!
It is possible to make your own sugar cone, (Zuckerhut), by taking half a pound of sugar, moistening it, forming into a cone shaped piece and leaving to dry over night.
This recipe involves both alcohol and fire so needs to be handled carefully, for safety reasons it is not a good idea to make it in an enclosed space, please ensure there is nothing flammable or likely to melt in close proximity to the flames, and use only metal utensils.............but Enjoy.
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You can easily use a normal pot, but there are a huge variety of Feuerzangenbowle Sets in every price range to be found here, as well as their accessories such as the 'sugar cone'. Quick and simple delivery when imported via Amazon.de.
Photo Feuerzangenbowle courtesy photographer Kore Nordmann (Kore), via de.Wikipedia
