Hlintvein

Ingredients

The wine

• 1.5 litresred wine
• a soft fruity one
• 5 tablespoonshoney
• or 130 g sugar

Spices

• 3cinnamon sticks
• 12whole cloves
• 1 teaspoonwhole allspice berries
• 3star anise
• 3cm fresh ginger, sliced
• a pinch of grated nutmeg

Fruit

• 2oranges, sliced
• 1lemon, sliced
• 1apple, sliced
• 100 graisins, optional

Sometimes added

• 200 mlcranberry or apple juice
• a shot of brandy

Directions

1. Keep it at a bare steam instead. Use a soft and fruity red wine. It should not be heavily tannic at all. Put the whole spices in a dry pan. Warm them over a medium low heat. Give them about two full minutes.
2. Shake the pan as they warm through. They should smell noticeably stronger. Wash the oranges and lemon very thoroughly. Waxed fruit should be scrubbed well.
3. Slice them all into thin rounds. Keep the peel on, since it carries the oil. Slice the apple up thinly as well. Pour about a third of the wine into a pot. Add the toasted spices and the sliced ginger. Add the sliced fruit and the raisins. Warm it gently over a low heat.
4. Let it simmer very gently for ten minutes. The cold wine brings the temperature down. Warm the whole pot through gently. Bring it to a bare steam only. Never let it bubble at all here. Hold it there for about fifteen minutes. Judging the temperature takes attention. Steam should rise from the surface. No bubbles should break it at all.
5. Turn the heat right down if it starts to bubble. Adding the honey is done off the heat. Take the pot right off the heat first. Stir the honey in until it dissolves. Taste it and adjust the sweetness.
6. Add more honey if it seems too sharp. Squeeze in more lemon if it tastes flat. Add either off the heat at the end. Leaving them in keeps infusing it.
7. Pour it into thick mugs or heatproof glasses. Add a fresh orange slice to each one. Add a cinnamon stick if you like. It is drunk standing in the cold. Warm alcohol is absorbed faster than cold. Never drive after drinking it.

Technique

• The name comes from German Gluhwein, adapted into Belarusian spelling, as Russian glintvein and the Lithuanian and Estonian versions were; the whole region borrowed the word together.
• Honey is used more than sugar here because Belarus has a long beekeeping tradition and forest honey is widely available, and cranberry juice is often added because cranberries grow wild in Belarusian bogs.
• The wine should never boil, since alcohol evaporates well below the boiling point of water and boiling concentrates the tannins harshly.

Substitutions

• Sugar stands in for honey, though the sweetness is flatter.
• Any soft fruity red wine works, and there is no point using a fine one.

Variations

• Cranberry juice is added to sharpen and lengthen it.
• Apple juice is used instead for a softer sweeter drink.
• Glintvein, glintveinas and hoogvein are the same idea elsewhere.

History

Poured at Minsk winter markets and in Belarusian cafés through the long cold season.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hlintvein?

Hlintvein is a cocktail from Belarus: mulled red wine with honey, cinnamon and citrus, served hot. Poured at Minsk winter markets and in Belarusian cafés through the long cold season.

How long does Hlintvein take to make?

Hlintvein takes 10 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Hlintvein?

Yes, within limits. Sugar stands in for honey, though the sweetness is flatter. Any soft fruity red wine works, and there is no point using a fine one.

What is the most important thing to get right in Hlintvein?

Keep it at a bare steam instead. Use a soft and fruity red wine. It should not be heavily tannic at all. Put the whole spices in a dry pan. Warm them over a medium low heat. Give them about two full minutes.