Feuerzangenbowle is a traditional German alcoholic drink that is served during Christmas or New Year’s Eve. The name translates literally as fire-tongs punch, “Bowle” meaning “punch” being borrowed from English. The drink’s roots can be traced back to punches served at German student parties in the mid-1700s, especially the popular crambambuli. Not to be confused with the cherry liqueur of the same name, crambambuli was a nickname German students gave to a flaming cocktail so beloved that it earned its own eponymous song in 1745.

Feuerzangenbowle is prepared in a bowl, similar to a fondue set, which usually is suspended over a small burner (Rechaud). The bowl is filled with heated dry red wine spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and orange peel, similar to mulled wine. The Feuerzange was originally a pair of tongs, but nowadays it is common for a purpose-designed metal grate mounted on top of the bowl to hold the Zuckerhut (sugarloaf), a 250-gram (9 oz) lump of sugar. The sugar is soaked with rum and set alight, melting and caramelizing. The rum should have at least 54% alcohol by volume (ABV), such as the high-ABV Austrian rum Stroh 80, and be at room temperature 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 punch is served in mugs while the burner keeps the bowl warm ¹⁴.

The popularity of the drink was boosted in Germany by the 1944 comedy film Die Feuerzangenbowle ¹. It is a traditional drink of some German fraternities, who also call it Krambambuli, as the red color is reminiscent of a cherry liqueur of that name which was manufactured by the distillery Der Lachs zu Danzig (in Gdańsk).

Recipe of Feuerzangenbowle

Ingredients:

• 3 bottles of red wine (2-3 liters total)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1-2 oranges
• 1-2 lemons
• 1 German sugar loaf
• 1 bottle of rum

Instructions:

1. Pour the red wine into a large pot and add sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.
2. Slice the lemons and oranges and add them to the pot.
3. Warm the mixture until steaming, but do not boil.
4. Put a German sugar loaf on a metal rack/screen or clamped in metal tongs above the warm punch.
5. Slowly pour high-proof rum over the sugar loaf or sugar cubes and let it soak for a minute.
6. Light the sugar loaf and let the flaming sugar caramelize and drip into the punch mix.
7. Add rum as needed to keep the flame going until all the sugar is gone.
8. Turn off the lights during this process to enjoy the blue flames.
9. Serve the punch hot in mugs or hot-tea glasses.

We hope you enjoy making and drinking Feuerzangenbowle! 🍷🔥