If you’re looking for wintertime movies in Munich, you can’t go past one: the Feuerzangenbowle, one of the most famous German films ever. Fittingly, many people try their own Feuerzangenbowle year after year to warm up the cold season. Because as the movie says: “A Feuerzangenbowle has it all! It gets to the heart. Soft and warm, it envelops the soul and takes away the heaviness of the earth”.
Munich even has the world’s largest Feuerzangebowle! The drink itself looks back on over 200 years of tradition. Back then, people used a “Feuerzange”, an indispensable part of the fireplace set. Today, however, it is best to buy the special accessories to make the Feuerzangenbowle yourself.
The ingredients for about 4 to 6 people
For the base:
- 2 liters of red wine: preferably a dry or semi-dry one
- 500 ml orange juice
- 2 organic oranges
- 1 organic lemon
- Spices: 2 cinnamon sticks, 5-6 cloves, 2 star anise.
For the spectacle:
- 1 sugar loaf (250 g)
- approx. 300 ml rum: It is important to have an alcohol content of at least 54% (e.g. pot or overseas rum) so that it burns.
The preparation
First pour the red wine and orange juice into a large saucepan (or a special rechaud vessel). Add the sliced oranges, lemon zest and spices. Now heat this slowly, but never let the mixture boil, otherwise the aroma of the wine will suffer and the alcohol will evaporate.
When everything is warm, it is best to place the pot on a rechaud (teapot) at the table so that the punch remains hot. Place the fire tongs over the pot and place the sugar loaf on top. Then use a ladle to drizzle some rum over the sugar loaf until it has soaked up all the rum. Don’t pour too much rum over it at once so that nothing runs into the wine before it burns.
Now it’s time to light the sugar loaf carefully with a long match or stick lighter. Caution! Never pour the rum directly from the bottle into the flame! Always use a ladle to gradually drizzle rum over the burning sugar so that the flame does not go out and the sugar melts evenly into the punch.
As soon as the sugar has completely caramelized and dripped into the wine, stir the punch once briefly. Take out the spices and ladle your Feuerzangenbowle into cups – enjoy!
Three tips for the perfect Feuerzangenbowle
To experience the perfect treat, follow these tips. Firstly: Choose the right rum. A rum with 40 % often does not burn hot enough or goes out immediately. The 54% is the “sweet spot”.
You should also choose a rather dark atmosphere. The blue glow of the flames is best accentuated when you turn off the light in the room. And last but not least: be careful with carnations! Stick the cloves directly into the orange slices – that way they won’t float individually in the punch and no one will accidentally bite them.