Mumma (drink)

Mumma
TypeBeer cocktail
Country of origin Sweden
IngredientsDark beer (often porter or stout); light lager; sweet carbonated drink such as sockerdricka or Julmust; optionally fortified wine (port, sherry or Madeira), spirits (e.g. gin or brännvin), cardamom, and sugar syrup

Mumma is a traditional Swedish mixed drink commonly associated with the Christmas buffet (julbord).[1] It is typically made by combining dark beer with a sweet carbonated beverage, sometimes with the addition of fortified wine; versions may also be spiced (often with cardamom) or lightly strengthened with spirits such as gin or brännvin.[a][2][3]

History and etymology

The word mumma has been used in Swedish since the 16th century, initially referring to the imported German beer Brunswick Mum (Braunschweiger Mumme), a dark, strong beer from Braunschweig. Historical Swedish sources distinguish varieties such as Stadtmumme and the stronger Schiffsmumme. Over time, Swedish usage broadened so that mumma could mean a sweet dark beer in general and later a mixed beer-based drink sweetened and sometimes spiced or fortified. In figurative Swedish, det är mumma means “that is delicious/wholesome.”[2][4][5]

Preparation and variations

Modern mumma recipes vary by household and region. Common elements include a base of dark beer (often porter) blended with a sweet carbonated drink such as sockerdricka (sometimes Julmust or a light lager is used), with optional additions of fortified wine (e.g. port, sherry or Madeira). Some versions add a small measure of gin or brännvin, season with ground cardamom, and sweeten with cooled sugar syrup rather than granulated sugar. The drink is usually served chilled in a jug during the Christmas season.[b][3][6][7]

In language and culture

The popularity of mumma in Sweden is reflected in phrases such as smaka mumma (“taste good”) and det är mumma (för x) (“it is good for x”).[2]

Notes

  1. ^ In Swedish usage mumma today most often refers to a sweet mixture of dark beer and sockerdricka, sometimes with fortified wine, spirits and spices.
  2. ^ Wine or spirits are not essential; the mixture is traditionally adjusted to taste.

See also

References

  1. ^ "10 of the best warming winter drinks around the world". The Guardian. 21 December 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Kardemumma och mumma". Institutet för språk och folkminnen (ISOF) (in Swedish). 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Mumma och flipp". Matkult (ISOF) (in Swedish). 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  4. ^ Deleen, Carl (1836). Tysk och swensk ordbok (in Swedish). Örebro. p. 554.
  5. ^ Carlquist, Gunnar, ed. (1937). "Mumma". Svensk uppslagsbok (in Swedish). Vol. 18. p. 264.
  6. ^ "Make your own mumma cocktail". The Guardian. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Mumma, mixed a beer today…". Zythophile. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
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