Ed arrived in Poznan a few days before I did. He and his two colleagues were apartment hunting. When he told me that at the end of the first day, the realtor took them to the Stary Rynek for a hot beer it was surprising, to say the least.
Hot beer? Spiced beer? I wasn’t sure that I’d be a fan, but after moving beyond my initial shock at the idea, I tried it on my first day in Poznan. It was a very cold day, and Grzane Piwo hit the spot. I actually enjoyed Grzane Piwo (Mulled Beer) several times at Brovaria, a brewery/hotel/restaurant in the Stary Rynek.
Grzane Piwo was also something you’d see at the Bethlehem Market (Christmas Market) in the Old Market Square in December along with Grzane Wino (Mulled Wine). It sounds unusual but if you of it as something similar to mulled wine; a warm drink, not too sweet, for chilly days. Sort of a beer based warm punch. I’m toying with the idea of making this for Christmas Day. I’m just wondering how adventuresome our family will be.
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I thought I’d try making my own. It turned out even better than I expected. I just made a small amount, using one large bottle (.5 l) – just multiply the amounts below based on the number of servings needed.
Feel free to experiment according to your taste. Maybe add whole star anise or a few cardamon pods. Maybe use apple juice rather than orange juice. Next time, I’m going to toss in a handful of dried cranberries.
Na zdrowie,
Lois
Grzane Piwo (Mulled Beer)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
Another spicy, hot drink for winter!
Ingredients
- 2 cups beer (500 ml), a larger just as Zywiec is ideal
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 thin peeled slices of fresh ginger
- 1 slice each – orange, lemon, apple
Instructions
- Combine ingredients and warm over low heat, covered, for 45 minutes, just barely simmering. Strain.
- Serve warm, garnish with orange or lemon slice studded with cloves (use a toothpick to “predrill” a hole in the peel).
Notes
To keep all of the alcohol from evaporating, use only half of the beer to simmer with your fruit and spices. Add the remainder at the end and keep the temperature of the grzane piwo below 173Ā° F (78Ā° C)
Keywords: Grzane piwo, mulled beer
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in PoznaÅ, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,Ā she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Vicki
You’re so clever! Imagine this would be wonderful the cooler the temps fall.
Suzie-Q
I’m guessing that it loses its fizz. Right? Sounds yummy. Maybe I’ll try it if Texas gets cold enough this winter!!
Lois B
Vicki – thanks for calling me clever rather than a lush! lol
Sue – No fizz to speak of; use the a/c to make your own cool weather and give it a try.
Suzie-Q
That would be cheating! And a very good idea!!
Jonny Blair
Hi Lois,I love grzane piwo and I also tried it for the first time in Poznan. Great article and recipe. Jonny
polishhousewife
Thanks, Jonny; na zdrowie!
Leon Duminiak
I use a very similar recipe but I put all of the ingredients together and chill them for several hours so that the fruit and spices can steep in the beer and orange juice. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the flavor will be. When the taste is where you like it, strain out the fruit and spices. You can then quickly heat this liquid or save it in the refrigerator without the flavor getting too strong. Adding some fresh beer when heating will give the drink a fresher flavor. You might also try adding a different type of beer for a new flavor combination. The only limitation is your imagination and how much beer you can drink.
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