flipHot Rhine Wine with Honey and Spices
Hot Rhine Wine with Honey and Spices
Why this dish? Beethoven appreciated Rhine wine, a memory of his native Rhineland. Heated, sweetened with honey and spiced, it evokes the comforting cordial drunk in winter — and one that a man with fragile health, retired to Heiligenstadt to recover, might have taken to warm body and soul.
White Rhine wine gently heated, flavored with honey, cinnamon, and clove. A comforting drink that warms winter evenings and recalls the composer's homeland.
Ah, Rhine wine! It carries the scent of Bonn, of my youth, of the banks where I grew up before Vienna took me. When the cold pierces me and my ears cause me pain, I warm it with honey and a few spices, and I drink it slowly, eyes closed. It is no doctor's remedy — those have tormented me enough! — but it warms the heart, and that is already a lot for a man like me.
- •White Rhine wine — one bottle (base of the drink)
- •Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon — one stick (warm spice)
- •Cloves — a few (spice)
- •Lemon zest — a strip (bright flavor)
Hot Rhine Wine with Honey and Spices
White Rhine wine gently heated, flavored with honey, cinnamon, and clove. A comforting drink that warms winter evenings and recalls the composer's homeland.
Why this dish? Beethoven appreciated Rhine wine, a memory of his native Rhineland. Heated, sweetened with honey and spiced, it evokes the comforting cordial drunk in winter — and one that a man with fragile health, retired to Heiligenstadt to recover, might have taken to warm body and soul.
Ah, Rhine wine! It carries the scent of Bonn, of my youth, of the banks where I grew up before Vienna took me. When the cold pierces me and my ears cause me pain, I warm it with honey and a few spices, and I drink it slowly, eyes closed. It is no doctor's remedy — those have tormented me enough! — but it warms the heart, and that is already a lot for a man like me.
Ingredients (period version)
- White Rhine wine — one bottle (base of the drink)
- Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- Cinnamon — one stick (warm spice)
- Cloves — a few (spice)
- Lemon zest — a strip (bright flavor)
Ingredients
- Dry white Rhine wine (Riesling) — 75 cl (base of the drink)
- Honey — 3 to 4 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (warm spice)
- Cloves — 4 (spice)
- Unwaxed lemon zest — 1 strip (bright flavor)
- Star anise — 1 (optional) (fragrant note)
Method
- Pour the wine into a saucepan with the cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and star anise.
- Heat very gently, never letting it boil (otherwise the alcohol and aromas evaporate).
- When the wine is hot and fragrant (after about 10 minutes), remove from heat.
- Stir in the honey off the heat until dissolved.
- Strain and serve in heatproof cups or glasses.
How it was made : Heating wine with honey and spices is a very old European tradition, inherited from medieval spiced wines (hippocras). In the early 19th century, these hot wines remained popular winter cordials, both a pleasure and a supposed remedy against cold and chills.
The contemporary twist : Serve a non-alcoholic version with heated white grape juice and the same spices, so the whole family can toast to the 9th Symphony.
Ludwig van Beethoven · Charactorium
