Glühwein is the German name for mulled wine, a warm festive drink found at Christmas markets that blends heated red wine with cinnamon, cloves, star aniseed, orange, sugar and vanilla pods.

Despite the name and its popularity in the country, Glühwein doesn’t have its origins in Germany. It was the Romans who were the first to make mulled wine to use up any extra wine they had that was going off.

Nevertheless, the Germans have been honing their mulled wine recipe for centuries: the oldest record of Glühwein in Germany is attributed to Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen, a German nobleman who was the first grower of Riesling grapes. Count John IV’s silver mug, specially designed for drinking mulled wine, dates back to 1420!