The Classic Swedish Christmas Drink

Ingredients

• 180 ounces dark ale or dark beer
• 5 pounds sugar
• 1 pound raisins
• 2 inches ginger root piece of unpeeled, sliced
• 1/4 cup cloves
• 1/4 cup cardamom seeds whole green
• 4 whole star anise
• 5 whole potatoes unpeeled, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 ounces cake fresh yeast, or 3 packets of dry yeast
• 1 bottle red wine optional
• 1 cup vodka optional
• almonds Sliced, peeled
• raisins
• Pepparkakor Swedish, Ginger snapps