GLØGG · THE WINTER WARMER
The Copenhagen gløgg guide
Gløgg is Denmark's spiced winter warmer — hot red wine steeped with cloves, cinnamon, orange peel and anise, poured over raisins and slivered almonds. And make no mistake: a real gløgg is strong, nothing like the sweet "mulled wine" ladled out at the Christmas-market stalls. It's a small glass of pure comfort against the grey, dark winter evenings. Most places also do a white version and an alcohol-free one. These are glasses worth seeking out.
Last updated: 29 September 2026
Hviids Vinstue
Kongens Nytorv 19
The gløgg institution — a dark, panelled wine cellar running since 1723, famous for its house gløgg served in little glasses. Its gløgg season launches every year on 11 November at 11:11, when the cellar packs out with locals. Be warned: it's strong! Candle-lit, and the one glass you shouldn't leave Copenhagen without.
Tivoli's stalls
Tivoli Gardens
Drink it where it's most magical — gløgg in one mitten, a bag of warm æbleskiver in the other, under a million lights. The stalls do both the classic red and white gløgg versions.
Hotel d'Angleterre
Kongens Nytorv 34
The posh one. White-tablecloth gløgg in one of Europe's grandest old hotels, with the city's most famous Christmas façade sparkling outside the window.
Bar Deco
Ny Adelgade 5B
A tiny, stylish bar tucked into the side streets — where the cocktail crowd gets its gløgg fix in December.
Noorbohandelen
Torvehallerne, Frederiksborggade 21
The Torvehallerne deli known for its spice blends — have a glass at the market, then take a bottle of their gløgg mix home.
EP9
Enghave Plads 9
Vesterbro's neighbourhood corner bar — gløgg the local way, on a bench outside even when it's freezing.
Season: gløgg flows from early November until Christmas — most spots stop serving once the holidays are over.
Not a red-wine person? Ask for the white gløgg, or the alcohol-free version — nearly every spot has both.
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Gløgg questions, answered
What is gløgg?+
Denmark's spiced winter warmer — hot red wine steeped with cloves, cinnamon, orange peel and anise, poured over raisins and slivered almonds. A real gløgg is strong, served in small glasses against the dark winter evenings. Most places also do a white version and an alcohol-free one.
Where to buy gløgg in Copenhagen?+
The one glass you shouldn't leave without is at Hviids Vinstue, the 1723 wine cellar on Kongens Nytorv. Tivoli's stalls pour it under a million lights, Hotel d'Angleterre does the posh version, Bar Deco the cocktail-crowd one and EP9 the local Vesterbro one — and Noorbohandelen at Torvehallerne sells their gløgg mix by the bottle to take home. Skip the Christmas market stalls for this one, though — what they pour is mostly sweet mulled wine, not real gløgg.
What is the difference between gløgg and mulled wine?+
Real Danish gløgg is stronger and more heavily spiced than the sweet mulled wine you know from other Christmas markets — and it's always served over raisins and slivered almonds, in small glasses. The sweet stuff ladled out at some market stalls is the tourist version; the spots in this guide pour the real thing.
When is gløgg season in Copenhagen?+
Early November until Christmas — gløgg appears when the markets open and most spots stop serving once the holidays are over. J-Day (the first Friday of November) is the unofficial starting gun.
What kind of alcohol is used in gløgg?+
Red wine is the base — heated gently, never boiled, so the alcohol stays in. What makes real Danish gløgg stronger than mulled wine is the splash of something harder: snaps (aquavit), rum, brandy or port, depending on the house recipe. The white version starts from white wine, and the alcohol-free one skips the lot.
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