Vin Brule | Sipping Espresso

If you’ve read a couple of our recent Christmas posts, you may notice a consistent theme over and over. We have been thoroughly enjoying the official drink of the season, vin brulé from the markets of Alto-Adige to the lakeside shores of Lugano, Switzerland. I promise you, we are by no means a pair of winos – but I’m pretty sure it’s against the law not to have a vin brulé in your hands as you stroll through the Christmas markets.

Homemade vin brulé

We have been having so much fun thawing the chill from our bones with this delicious winter drink that we thought we should make it at home for ourselves. I have to say, for our first attempt – it was pretty darn good! And since we enjoyed this easy and delicious recipe so much, we decided it was only fair to share it with you. Of course, that meant that we had to go back to the test kitchen and whip up another batch!

What is vin brulé, you ask? You may know it better as mulled wine or glühwein (it is a very common German drink). No matter what you call it – it is basically a red wine heated over a flame, sweetened with sugar and seasoned with spices and fruit. The result is nothing short of perfection. You are sure to find the drink in just about any of the thousands of holiday markets set up all over Europe in December.

Here’s how it is made (follow closely… nah, just kidding. It’s pretty easy).

Ingredients (serving for four)

>1.5 liters of red wine (a lot will cook down)
>1.5 cups of sugar
>4 to 8 cloves
>Nutmeg to taste
>2 cinnamon sticks
>2 mandarins (you can also use a small orange)

Your ingredients – feel free to add or subtract items

The great thing about the ingredients for this recipe is that they don’t have to be exact. You can use what you have lying around. If you like more nutmeg flavor – go ahead and add it. This is completely based on personal preference.

Directions
>Slice some of the citrus peels and set them aside
>Grate the zests of one of the manderian and add to a pot with the sugar, cloves, cinnamon and citrus peels
>Add about one cup of the wine and cook on a high heat until everything blends together. This will create a thick almost syrup like liquid that is infused with tones of Christmas flavor. You don’t want to use all of your wine because cooking it at this high heat will burn off the alcohol
>Add the remaining wine and reduce the heat to a low simmer
>Serve and enjoy!

Add the ingredients

Add one cup of the wine

Cook over a high heat

There you have it! Easy and delicious!

We wanted to be sure to post this recipe on Christmas, with the hope that you make this delicious and easy drink on your own today or tonight. You have our personal guarantee that it will increase your festive cheer by 19.6%. That’s 4.6% higher than the next best thing… not getting underwear in your stocking.

OK, we realize it’s nearly February and people are more inclined to think about Valentine’s Day than Christmas… but it’s still cold and snowy and hey, who couldn’t use a little holiday cheer any time of year?! So, if you’ll forgive us for posting about Christmas at the end of January, than you’ll certainly excuse the fact that these pictures were taken last year!

Christmas is such a special time in Italy. We didn’t want to miss a posting about this wonderful event and some of the local traditions. When we arrived on January 4th, all the lights and decorations were still present but we didn’t have an opportunity to photograph anything. Therefore, we had to use some from last year’s library.

Lake Como’s Duomo – lit up at night

Starting in early December, you’ll find lights and decorations sprinkled throughout each piazza and cobblestone street you encounter. In front of every church you’ll see a presepio (nativity scene) that is always presented wonderfully and illuminated each night. If you venture into the suburbs (or look up toward the windows in most cities), you’ll see hundreds of little Santas trying to climb their way into someone’s home. And you’re sure to hear “Buon Natale” (Merry Christmas) at every turn.

“Let me in!!”

Of course, Christmas is also on December 25th but the celebrations don’t stop until after La Festa dell’Epifania (The Feast of the Epiphany) when on the Eve of the Epiphany (January 4th) the Befana (witch) delivers candy to all the good children and brings coal to all the naughty children. Wiki Link on the Befana. My intimate knowledge of this subject comes from Julia’s children’s books. Basically, what I’ve learned is that the Befana went to bring the baby Jesus sweets and sweep up his room since his new mother would be exhausted. So now on the Eve of January 4th, she comes and sweeps up little childrens rooms and gives them candy.

A stroll on the streets of Lake Como

The lights on the Duomo in Milan are gorgeous, and we’ve read about other cities that have wonderful presepios or stunning decorations but our absolute favorite is seeing the light display in our own town of Lake Como. Images are cast across buildings, churches and even the streets and municipal buildings.

Some shops in the main piazza

Another angle

We loved the “icicles” hanging off the ledge

The “snow” would cascade down the buildings

Como’s Teatro Sociale

Even the otherwise boring government buildings join the party

“Friends of Como, Merry Christmas”

Another wonderful tradition in Lake Como is the market that assembles for several weeks in the winter months – right in the main square, the Piazza Cavour. Here, you’ll find vendors of meats, cheeses, breads, goods and our personal favorite – vino cotto (cooked wine), which is commonly known as mulled wine.