Feuerzangenbowle

Feuerzangenbowle is a traditional German alcoholic drink, often part of a Christmas or New Year's tradition. The name translates literally as "fire-tongs punch".

The popularity of the drink has been boosted by the German film comedy "Die Feuerzangenbowle" from the 1940s. At a punch binge with his friends, writer Johannes Pfeiffer (Heinz Rühmann) decides to dress up as a student and go back to high school.

Procedure

Feuerzangenbowle is prepared in a bowl, similar to a fondue set, which usually is suspended over a small burner. The bowl is filled with heated red wine mixed with orange juice and spiced with cinnamon sticks and cloves, similar to mulled wine. The "Feuerzange" is a metal holder for the "Zuckerhut" (sugarloaf), a conical lump of sugar around seven inches long, which is mounted on top of the bowl. The sugar is soaked with rum and set alight, melting and caramelizing. The rum should have at least 54% alcohol per volume in order to burn properly. More rum is poured with a ladle until all the sugar has melted and mixed with the wine. The resulting drink is served in mugs while the burner keeps the bowl warm.

External links

* [http://www.suedzucker.de/produkt/#zuckerhut Product page of a German sugar manufacturer, showing the "Zuckerhut" (German)]
* [http://yumsugar.com/887977 CasaSugar's Flaming Tongs of Fire Punch]