Gløgg

Steps

1. Stir the raisins and the rum, brandy or aquavit together in a small bowl. Let them soak for at least 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. With a vegetable peeler, take 4 wide strips of zest from the orange, leaving the white part behind. Cut the orange in half and squeeze out the juice.
3. Put the zest, orange juice, water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the syrup smells strongly of spice.
4. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and throw away the spices and zest. Return the syrup to the pan.
5. Add the wine and port. Warm over medium-low heat until steaming and about 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let it boil.
6. Stir in the raisins with their soaking liquid and the almonds. Taste and add more brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if it tastes sharp.
7. Ladle into small heatproof cups or mugs, making sure each one gets some raisins and almonds. Set out small spoons for fishing them out.

Good to know

• For an alcohol-free pot, make the Danish children's version, børnegløgg. Use 4 cups unsweetened red grape juice in place of the wine and port, and soak the raisins in 1/3 cup warm orange juice. Leave the brown sugar out of the syrup at first, then taste the finished pot and add only what it needs, since juice is already sweet.
• Make ahead: Simmer the syrup and leave it in the refrigerator overnight with the spices still in it for a deeper flavor, then strain it and finish the pot the next day. Leftover gløgg keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm it gently, without boiling.
• To keep it warm for a party, move it to a slow cooker on the warm setting and keep the lid on between servings.
• No port? Use 1 more cup of red wine and add 2 tablespoons more brown sugar. Many Danish cooks use whole blanched almonds, which are a fine swap for slivered.