Mulled Beer- An Easy To Make Holiday Classic
Hot glühwein, often known as mulled wine, is usually popular among visitors to Europe's Christmas markets. But wine enthusiasts aren't the only ones who can appreciate a hot, spiced beverage. Mulled beer is also available. It's known as glühbier, and it's just hot and spiced beer. And this lesser-known beverage has been warming up beer enthusiasts for ages. Mulled beer has been around since the 1640s. A treatise named "Warm Beer" from 1641 discussed the supposed health benefits of hot versus cold ales, and other books from the 1800s feature recipes for hot and hearty ales. Mulled beer was popular throughout Europe, particularly in England, and then in colonial America.
Brewers from the 17th through the 19th centuries thought so. Mulled beer wasn't always about trying out new brews or getting high. In reality, boiling beer lowers its intoxicating effects. Heated ale was thought to be healthier; in certain cases, bars added eggs or even bread to assure sufficient nutrition for the working class. By the late 1800s, hot ales had fallen out of favor, being replaced by beers better served cold, such as German lagers. However, thanks to today's craft beer industry, this traditional hot ale is witnessing a rebirth. When the holidays arrive, glühbier is available in breweries, Christmas markets, and restaurants throughout the United States and Europe.
Every year, a slew of craft breweries come up with their own inventive variations on glühbier. Threshold Brewing and Blending of Portland created a traditional Polish Grzaniec that is served mulled and hot in 2020. It will still be available in 2021. Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom in Portland has reopened its pandemic-era pop-up GlüBar, which specializes in mulled beer, wine, and cider. In 2022, Brothers Craft Brewing in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will release its own mulled beer. A barrel-aged Belgian dark brew flavored with cherry orange zest, star anise, and clove.
But, before you start heating up any old beer, Draft Magazine has some mulled-beer recommendations to keep in mind. Avoid bitter beers in favor of sweeter ones. This is because cold and carbonation help to settle bitterness, whereas heat appears to intensify it. Cooking also destroys the carbonation. "Flavorful beers with a strong malt backbone, such as English milds and brown ales," according to Craft Beering.
Polish Housewife, a culinary blogger, offers her own recipe for mulled beer grzane piwo in Polish, which you can make at home. It was inspired by her first experience with the hot drink in western Poland. Her recipe calls for hefeweizen, orange juice, fruits, sugars, and spices, with a 45-minute cooking time. This festive ale is well worth the wait.
