Svařák

Ingredients

Wine

• 1.5 litresdry red wine, cheap and young

Spices

• 3cinnamon sticks
• 10cloves
• 4star anise
• 6allspice berries
• 1 pieceof fresh ginger, sliced

Fruit

• 2oranges, sliced
• 1lemon, sliced

To sweeten

• 150 gsugar, or honey, to taste

Optional

• 100 mlrum or slivovice, for a fortified version
• 200 mlwater, to soften it

To serve

• in mugs, outdoors, in the cold

Directions

1. Keep it between about 70 and 80°C, hot enough to steam faintly but never bubbling. If you have a thermometer, use it; if not, watch for the first wisps of steam and hold it there.
2. Use a cheap young dry red with plenty of fruit and no oak. Use whole cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise rather than ground spices. Stud the orange slices with the cloves if you want to keep track of them.
3. Put the wine in a pan with the spices, the ginger and the citrus slices. Now add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.
4. Heat it slowly over a low flame. The slower you heat it, the more the spices infuse, so take twenty minutes over it rather than five.
5. Hold it at temperature for 20 to 25 minutes. It should be warming, sweet but not syrupy, and clearly spiced with the citrus present behind it.
6. Add a splash of water if it tastes too strong or too acidic, which market vendors do routinely. Take the lemon and orange slices out after about 20 minutes. Strain out the spices as well once it tastes right.
7. Add spirits at the end and off the heat, so the alcohol stays in the drink rather than evaporating. Serve it hot in mugs, with a slice of fresh orange if you like. Medovina, hot mead, and grog are the other things sold from the same stands.

Technique

• Every Czech market stand has its own spice mix and they are closely guarded.
• White svařák, made with white wine, is also sold and is lighter.
• It reheats well as long as it never boils.

Substitutions

• Any cheap dry red wine.
• Honey in place of sugar, added off the heat.

Variations

• Made with white wine.
• With rum added, as grog.
• With apple juice for a version without alcohol.

History

Poured from vats at Czech Christmas markets and ski resorts throughout the winter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Svařák?

Svařák is a cocktail from Czechia: mulled red wine with cloves, cinnamon and lemon at market stands. Poured from vats at Czech Christmas markets and ski resorts throughout the winter.

How long does Svařák take to make?

Svařák takes 10 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Svařák?

Yes, within limits. Any cheap dry red wine. Honey in place of sugar, added off the heat.

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

Keep it between about 70 and 80°C, hot enough to steam faintly but never bubbling. If you have a thermometer, use it; if not, watch for the first wisps of steam and hold it there.