How to Make Mozart’s Cafe’s Glühwein

Glühwein is German for “glow wine,” and this traditional warm, spiced red wine is right at home in Anand and Doris Saha’s Mozart’s Cafe in Columbus. Anand is from India and Doris is from Switzerland. They met in Austria in their early twenties (he managed the hotel her family owned). The couple created Mozart’s Cafe to provide their customers the feeling of traveling through Germany and Austria, with all of the elements of the experience inspired by what they’ve tried and enjoyed there. 

“One of our favorite things to do in the Alps was to go up the ski lift, hang out with friends and drink Glühwein,” Anand recalls. 

Once in Columbus, the couple imported the drink a few times before realizing it was easier to make it themselves. 

“That’s when the experimenting started,” Anand says. “How much cinnamon, sugar, orange, lemon, clove? What’s the right balance and the right wine?” 

He prefers a fruitier merlot over a more muted cabernet, and boiling the five-gallon batches is his favorite part of the process: “The fragrance is the most fantastic aroma.” 4784 N. High St., Columbus 43214, 614/268-3687 or 614/725-5202, mozartscafe.com


Mozart’s Cafe’s Glühwein

INGREDIENTS
1 liter red table wine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)
4 cloves, whole
2 oranges, juice only
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Extra cinnamon sticks and cloves for garnish
Orange, sliced for garnish 

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, skimming foam as needed. Remove cinnamon and cloves and serve warm, garnished with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick.