The Feuerzangenbowle is a German Christmas and New Year's tradition which translates literally as "Fire Tongs Punch".

The direct translation is "burnt punch". It is a bowl, similar to a fondue set, which hangs over a small spirit burner. The bowl is filled with 3 bottles of warm red wine, and occasionally spices similar to those used in ordinary mulled wine. The bowl is brought out to the dining table at the end of Christmas dinner, and the "Feuerzange" is placed over the bowl. The "Feuerzange" (fire tongs) is a metal holder for the "Zuckerhut" (sugarloaf), a large conical mass of sugar around 7 inches in length. The sugar is soaked in rum and set alight, and rum is continually added with a ladle until all the sugar has melted and mixed with the wine. It is then served in mugs, in the same way as Glhwein, and the burner keeps the bowl warm until it is emptied. The popularity of the drink has no doubt increased with the famous German film comedy Die Feuerzangenbowle from the 1940's, starring Heinz Rhmann as writer Johannes Pfeiffer who, having had a bit too much of the magic drink, decides to dress up as a school student and goes back to school. Heie Getrnke - Hot Drinks

Feuerzangenbowle Flaming Fire Tongs Punch

Feuerzangenbowle is a hot German New Year's or winter punch made with red wine and rum. See the New Year's Customs page for more about the story of Feuerzangenbowle. Here is our recipe for Feuerzangenbowle: Ingredients: Bowle/Punch 3 bottles of red wine (2-3 liters total) 2 cinnamon sticks cardamom allspice 1-2 oranges 1-2 lemons 5 cloves Zuckerhut/Sugar Cone (see photo) 1 German sugar cone/loaf* 1 bottle of rum Directions: 1. In a large pot or kettle filled with red wine, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and allspice. 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!

2. 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 carmelize 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. (Note: Traditionally, Feuerzangenbowle was prepared with the Zuckerhut sitting on crossed swords atop the pot.) *ZUCKERHUT: A German sugar cone or sugar loaf (lit. "sugar hat") is made of compressed Raffinade (refined sugar) in a cone shape. A German description of Raffinade: "Ein Zucker von hchster Reinheit und bester Qualitt. Die Raffinade wird aus sehr reinen Zuckerlsungen gewonnen und entspricht hohen Ansprchen." (A sugar of highest purity and best quality. Raffinade is made from very pure sugar solutions and meets high standards.) If you can't get the real thing, substitute sugar cubes in the recipe above.