Blossa 23 travels back to where it all began: Stockholm’s Old Town Gamla Stan

This year, Blossa’s limited edition annual glögg celebrates its 20th anniversary by traveling back home and drawing inspiration from Gamla Stan in Stockholm; the place where the very first Blossa glögg was bottled more than 100 years ago.

Blossa 23 is a white starkvinsglögg with a taste of fresh raspberries and floral hops and a tribute to Blossa's rich craftmanship history. Unique for the anniversary is that the bottles literally light up the winter darkness. Turn off the lights, and you'll see!

Among Sweden's oldest streets and squares, where pubs are crowded and colorful houses fill the winding alleys, we find the place where the first Blossa glögg was bottled in 1895. Still today, all Blossa glöggs are made with the same well-kept secret recipe that has a unique spice blend aged for months with wine from carefully selected vineyards. It is the love of craftsmanship that has made Blossa a beloved tradition, and it is this story, Blossa's own, that is the inspiration for this year’s edition.

Twenty years ago, Blossa launched its first limited edition annual glögg and since then Blossa has traveled the world to find new flavor combinations. The annual glögg concept is a modern interpretation of Blossa's craft tradition, and each year the bottles also receive a unique new design, which has made them a sought-after collector's item. In recent years Blossa has visited countries such as Hawaii, Italy and India, but this year Sweden is the source of inspiration.

Raspberries add a playful fruitiness to Blossa 23, the sweetness of which is balanced with hops that becomes extra clear in the aftertaste. The notes of the hops are captured particularly well by the cloves in the glögg spices, which together result in an exciting flavor combination. - I have made all annual glöggs since the beginning, and it feels nice to travel back to where it all began for the anniversary. Stockholm has a rich brewing culture, and hops has played an important role in both old brewing traditions as well as for the microbreweries of today. Back in the day, people from the countryside used to travel to Gamla Stan in the late summer to sell fresh raspberries, a berry grown in Sweden since the Middle Ages, says Åsa Orsvärn, Blossa's Chief Blender.

A (self)luminous bottle design with a story

In the design wrapped around Blossa 23, we get an insight into Blossa's history. It begins in 1895 at a wine shop on Stora Nygatan in Gamla Stan, where the spices are stored and the glögg is bottled. We are then brought all the way to the Christmas market at Stortorget over 100 years later, to present day, where the same glögg is served during a starry winter night. The design also offers an extra surprise, as some details of the bottle glow in the dark - just like the streetlights in Gamla Stan - when you turn off the light.

How to serve Blossa 23

The glögg can be enjoyed both hot and cold, although Blossa’s Chief Blender Åsa Orsvärn recommends that all white wine based glöggs be served cold. Feel free to take a glass and fill it with frozen raspberries instead of ice cubes and serve some biscuits, raspberry jam, and goat cheese on the side.