LET US GROK TOGETHER!

To "GROK" A martian word meaning literally "to drink" and metaphorically "to be one with"

from the Robert Heinlein novel, "Stranger in a Strange Land"....anyway that is what I always think of when I see the word...GLOGG...which is  a traditional Scandinavian drink for holiday cheer. In a way that is what we are doing when we get together in this season, we become one. So I say let us GROK this holiday season and start it off with some GLOGG!
There are 100,000 ways of making glogg, the revered Yule quaff of Scandinavia. Every family has its own method. Some use sherry, port or Madeira, other..burgundy, or claret, combined with vodka, cognac or aquavit. Special glogg kettles are available, ususally of copper  with wire racks to hold a mound of sugar lumps. Any attractive kettle may be used of course along with a cake rack that fits over the top. 
This is one of the easiest and most delicious of gloggs:

SWEDISH GLOGG
2quarts of red wine
1 cup rasins
1 cups shelled almonds
12 prunes
whole cloves
cardamom seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
peel of one orange
2 cups sugar cubes
2 cups vodka or aquavit or cognac
In large kettle, combine all ingredients, cover bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set on electric warming tray to keep hot. Place a wire rack over top of kettle and pile with 2 cups sugar, cubes. heat vodka slightly, ignite spirits and carefully pour flaming over the sugar which will join the conflagration and fall in lovely little spurts of flames into the hot spice wine. Allow to burn long enough to dazzle your guests, then dunk any remaining sugar into the drink. Stir. Serve in demitasse cups, provide small spoons for eating the goodies. Don't eat the spices!

GLOGG
2 bottle of dry red wine
2 bottle of port
2 cups aquavit
(or gin)
2 cups seedless raisins
2 cups blanched almonds
the slivered peel of an orange
2 tbs cardamom crushed with a mortar and pestle
10 whole cloves
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of sugar
In a 6 quart enamel pot mix all ingredients, cover and let stand for 8 hours to let the flavor develop and mingle. When ready to serve, stir well and bring the mixture to a full boil over high heat. Serve immediately right from the pot, in mugs. Serve with a small spoon to scoop up the raisins and almonds. Keep warm for seconds.
YIELDS:20 servings

WAZZUP.... WASSAIL!!?....

Centuries ago in Merry Olde England, feudal lords and ladies threw a big Christmas Eve bash and called it "wassailing" Gathering in their great holly trimmed castle halls with the blazing yule log burning on the hearth they sang caroles and watched pantomimes performed by wandering players. They would sit around the huge round tables feasting on venison and flaming plum puddings, dipping into the wassail bowl to toast each others health and welfare for the coming year.
The tradition of hot punches at Christmastime in America is a carry over from colonial days when carolers and revelers roamed the streets stopping here and there for a hot mug of wassail or Flaming Bishop.


WASSAIL BOWL (POTENT)
3 quarts beer
1 pound sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
4 slices lemon
16 ounces sherry
10-12 spiced whole crab apples studded with whole cloves.
In a large soup kettle cook one quart of beer and the sugar and spices over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add remaining beer, sherry and apples. Heat 15mim=nutes but do not boil. To serve pour mixture into warmed punch bowl and float apples on top. Yeild :25 four ounce punch cups


WASSAIL BOWL (PURITAN)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups fresh orange juice or frozen(thawed and reconstituted)
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 gall apple cider
1 teaspoon whole cloves
 1 stick cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Pour all juices into a large enamel or stainless steel pan. Add cinnamon and cloves tied into an cheescloth bag. Bring to a simmering boil over a medium heat. Cover  pan and allow mixture to simmer for one hour. Dissolve sugar in hot wassail before rmoving from heat. Serve hot in mugs or punch cups. Yield:16 servings. 
ps... If you would like to give the punch a little more "punch" add 1 pint brandy  to the cooked wassail. Heat but do not boil.


GLOGG
In Scandanavia, December is special month devoted almost exclusively to the preparation of food and drink and decorations. The Christmas warmth abounding in the part of the world is probably unsurpassed by that of any other. A famous Swedish holiday tradition is the serving of a hot punch called glogg. The word means glow and derives its name from the sometime ritual of burning sugar over the drink or igniting the drink itself. Even if it isnt ignited a pleasant glow is experienced from inhaling the distinct aroma and tasting the indescribable flavor of this hot  spicy drink.  Glogg lets you forget the outside snow and cold while family and friends gather around acrackling fire, toasting the health of those near and far.
Use stainless steel or enamel 6 quart pot. 
mix 2 bottles  dry red wine, 2 bottles port and 2 cups aquavit or gin or vodka. 
2 cups seedless raisins 
2 cups blanched whole almonds
the slivered peel of an orange
2 tablespoons of cardomom seeds crushed with mortar and pestle
10 whole cloves
1 and 1/2 cups sugar.
Cover glogg mixture and let it stand about 8 hours to let the flavors develop and mingle.
When ready to serve stir well and bring the mixture to a full boil over high heat. Serve immediately right from the pot. Use mugs with handles and have a small spoon for each mug to scoop up the tasty raisins and almonds at the bottom of each drink.
Can be made a day or two before and kept in refrigerator tightly covered.