Hoist an Ale

MULLED ALE: WARM BEER FOR COLD NIGHTS

Though lesser known than its wine cousin, the hot, spiced drink is a centuries-old winter warmer

By Kevin Revolinski

We’re noW in the seasonwhen “ice cold” doesn’t necessarily sound like the best thing—maybe even for beer. Winter seasonal beers are often heavier brews, stronger in alcohol or thicker in body and maltiness (think imperial stouts), and get more flavorful as they warm up a bit toward room temperature. But what about flat-out heating the stuff? Cider, wine, and a few cocktails winterize well, so why not beer?

The tradition of mulled beer is perhaps lesser known today than its wine cousin but goes back at least to the 17th century in England. Often considered a health drink that could combat fevers, colds, and other ale-ments, mulled beer was sometimes served with an egg in it, perhaps approaching the heft of a proper meal. Oh, and did I mention workers drank it in the morning as if taking their vitamins?

References and recipes are abundantly from the UK, but the Germans have Glühbier, a sibling to Glühwein (mulled wine), and the Belgians heat up kriek beer with spices as well. Recipes, of course, vary, but typical sweeteners are brown sugar or honey, while common spices include ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander, as well as star anise, or even juniper berries, which seem to

Choose a

malty ale as your base.

A medley

of spices infuses the beer with warm flavors.

Some

recipes add an egg yolk for heft.

BASIC MULLED ALE

Serves 2 to 3

• 24 ounces ale or lager, divided • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 cinnamon stick • 4 cloves • 2 star anise • Several long strips orange zest (avoid the bitter white pith) • 3 to 4 ounces brandy or dark rum In a pot, mix 18 ounces of the ale with the sugar, spices, and orange peel. Slowly bring to a low simmer; don’t boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes to start, or longer if desired. Remove from heat and add the remaining beer and brandy or rum. Serve in mugs, garnished with an orange slice and cinnamon stick. Recipes for mulled ale vary, but are typically sweetened with honey or brown sugar and infused with a medley of warming spices.

beg for gin as an easy and readily available substitution.

Pre-made bottled varieties can be warmed in a water bath of about 105 degrees F, but making your own may be more fun and adjustable to your tastes. Start with a favorite ale or lager, generally something malty; overly bitter hopped beers aren’t the best. The longer you leave it to simmer with the seasonings, the more they’ll infuse, but this also boils off the alcohol eventually. But no worries there: You’ll top it off with more beer and brandy or dark rum off the heat.

To Egg or Not to Egg?

Add some body and texture to mulled beer with a bit of egg. For each serving, separate a yolk from its white (use the white later, maybe for a whiskey sour!), and whisk the yolk very well with 2 teaspoons of sugar, until it looks more white than yellow. Add a couple ounces of the unheated beer to dilute this so it doesn’t go scrambled on you when you add it to the warm mixture. Stir it in and heat the whole mixture for about 5 minutes more, then pour and serve.