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Krasomelo of Western Macedonia (Κρασόμελο)
Created by
Western Macedonia krasomelo is hot red wine softened with honey, cinnamon, clove, and citrus peel, warmed quietly for Christmas nights when the house wants one more cup.
Beverages
Greek
Christmas
Comfort Food
5 min
Active Time
12 min cook•17 min total
Yield4 small cups
Krasomelo of Western Macedonia is wine and honey made warm, the winter cousin of the older oinomelo. In the mountain towns it belongs to cold evenings, Christmas visits, and the hour after supper when nobody needs a dessert, only something fragrant in a small cup.
What makes it itself is restraint. The wine is warmed with honey, cinnamon, clove, and citrus peel, but it must stay below a true simmer. Boil it and the drink loses its roundness, the alcohol lifts away, and the spice turns bossy. Warm it gently and you get the old balance: red wine first, honey underneath, citrus at the edge.
Use a plain dry Greek red, not the bottle you've been saving and not the one you wouldn't drink. Λίγα και καλά, a few things and good ones. In my Thessaloniki kitchen I make it when the December dark comes early, and I keep the cups small, because krasomelo is comfort, not a dare.
Krasomelo descends from oinomelo, the old Greek mixture of wine and honey known from antiquity and used both as a drink and as a sweetened wine preparation. The modern hot version is strongest in northern and mountain households, especially in Macedonia and Thessaly, where winter wine was warmed with honey and household spices during the Christmas season. It is related in spirit to rakomelo, but it is gentler: wine instead of tsipouro or raki, heat held low, and honey used to soften rather than dominate.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
dry Greek red wine
Quantity
750ml
Greek thyme honey
Quantity
90g
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1
whole cloves
Quantity
4
orange peel
Quantity
2 strips
white pith removed
lemon peel
Quantity
1 strip
white pith removed
bay leaf (optional)
Quantity
1 small
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| dry Greek red wine | 750ml |
| Greek thyme honey | 90g |
| cinnamon stick | 1 |
| whole cloves | 4 |
| orange peelwhite pith removed | 2 strips |
| lemon peelwhite pith removed | 1 strip |
| bay leaf (optional) | 1 small |
Equipment Needed
- •small heavy saucepan, 1.5 liter
- •fine mesh strainer
- •heatproof glass cups or small ceramic mugs
Instructions
- 1
Combine the pot
Pour the wine into a small heavy saucepan. Add the honey, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, lemon peel, and bay leaf if using. Stir once so the honey begins to loosen into the wine.
- 2
Warm it gently
Set the pot over low heat and warm it for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the honey has dissolved and the wine smells of cinnamon and citrus. Do not let it boil. Krasomelo is decided by restraint: keep it just below a simmer so the wine stays warm and round instead of turning harsh.
If tiny bubbles gather at the edge, lower the heat at once or lift the pot off the burner for a minute. - 3
Rest and strain
Take the pot off the heat and let the spices sit for 3 minutes. Strain into a small jug or ladle straight into heatproof cups. Taste only after straining. If your wine is very dry, add another teaspoon of honey, not a fistful.
- 4
Serve warm
Serve the krasomelo warm in small cups, with one fresh twist of orange peel if you like. It should taste like wine first, honey second, spice last. That is the order.
Chef Tips
- •Choose a dry red with clean fruit and no heavy oak. Xinomavro can be lovely if it isn't too tannic, and Agiorgitiko is a softer choice. Bad wine does not become noble because you gave it cinnamon.
- •Keep the citrus peel clean of white pith. The colored peel perfumes the wine; the pith gives bitterness, and then everyone blames the cloves.
- •Krasomelo is served in small cups, often after food rather than with it. A walnut sweet, a little dark chocolate, or a plate of Christmas melomakarona sits beside it well.
Advance Preparation
- •Measure the spices and peel the citrus up to 4 hours ahead; keep the peel covered so it doesn't dry.
- •Krasomelo is best served just made. If needed, strain it and rewarm it very gently within 2 hours, keeping it below a simmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 205g)
Calories
220 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
10 mg
Total Carbohydrates
23 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
20 g
Protein
0 g
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