Feuerzangenbowle!

Here's a recipe of an awesome holiday drink B and I first sampled this week, now that the famous Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt outdoor Christmas Market is in full swing. While most folks drink the sickly sweet hot mulled wine known as Gluhwein, we've been enjoying the "other" national holiday drink, Feuerzangenbowle (pronounced "foy-er-zan-gan-bowl-uh")-- aka Flaming tongs punch, and it's frankly better-- it adds the kick of alcohol (rum) to the wine, isn't as sweet, and is generally made with higher quality ingredients. And for the cool bit: you light this sucka on fire-- for a while.

Most recipes are variations on the same thing with occasional differences like the quantities and types of spices. That being said, the below recipe is (for the most part) shamelessly lifted from Palm Beach Illustrated, with parts of other recipes tossed in, and as closely matched to observations of a specialist bartender who made the drink in front of us. From personal experience, the best Feuerzangenbowle's we've tasted actually used a lower-proof (90 proof), quality rum, and the wine was a mix of quality reds from Italy and Germany. The real trick is finding the "sugar hat" (see photo), as the caramelized sugar is key to enjoying the drink, but like the recipe says sugar cubes-- quite a few-- will do in a pinch. Prost!

Ingredients
3 bottles of red wine (2-3 liters total)
2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 oranges
1-2 lemons
5 cloves
1 German Zuckerhut/sugar cone*
1 bottle of high-proof rum


In a large pot or kettle mix together the red wine, and cinnamon sticks. Cut up the oranges and lemons (optional: make peel spirals), crush fruit to release the juice, and add to the punch along with the cloves. Warm to a steaming mixture. Do not boil!


Place a German sugar cone (Zuckerhut, sugar loaf)* on a metal rack/screen or clamped in metal tongs above the warm punch. (Substitute sugar cubes if you can’t get a Zuckerhut.) Slowly pour high-proof rum over the Zuckerhut or sugar cubes and let soak for a minute. Carefully light the Zuckerhut or sugar cubes and let the flaming sugar caramelize and drip into the punch mix. Add rum as needed to keep the flame going until the Zuckerhut process is done. Serve the punch hot in mugs or hot-tea glasses.


*Zuchkerhut: A German sugar cone or sugar loaf is made of compressed Raffinade (refined sugar) in a cone shape. (If you can’t get the real thing, substitute sugar cubes in the recipe above.)