Can I susbstitute Gluhwein for ginger wine?

December 23, 2003 3:49 PM

Can I susbstitute Gluhwein for Ginger wine? [more inside]

I'm making pears and ginger gelato for Christmas, and the recipe calls for poaching the pears in "Stones Ginger Wine". Can't find it locally, Gluhwine is the best I can do. Are they similar enough or should I keep looking?

posted by daver to food & drink (3 comments total)

Here's a message board question that tells a little more about what ginger wine is, and offers a substitution idea.
posted by boomchicka at 4:39 PM on December 23, 2003

I don't think gluhwein would work that well to be honest - a completely different sort of flavour.

I think I might try a 50 / 50 mix of a dry white wine (you're going to mug it with ginger anyway, so something reasonably priced and fairly anonymous would be fine) and a light syrup, made with equal proportions (fluid ounces to ounces) of water to a mix of sugar and honey. Basically bring the water and sugar / honey to a simmer together, add a couple of thumb sized pieces of root ginger, sliced and let them simmer together on a very low temp until you get a good ginger flavour in the syrup (at least 15 - 20 minutes I'd think).

This ought to work reasonably well I think - hopefully you'll have time to try it. If you can't get fresh ginger for any reason, then chuck a jar of candied root ginger in instead.
posted by bifter at 2:40 AM on December 24, 2003

Excellent, thanks for the suggestions. I'm giving a second shot at finding a gingered brandy today, then I'm on to Bitter's suggestion below this afternoon.
posted by daver at 8:00 AM on December 24, 2003