What is Wassail? It's an old English drink that's is hot, mulled punch often associated with Yuletide drunk from a 'wassailing bowl'. The earliest versions were warmed mead – ale brewed with honey – into which roasted crab apples were dropped and burst to create a drink called 'lambswool' drunk on Lammas day, still known in Shakespeare's time. Later, the drink evolved to become a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, topped with slices of toast as soaps and drunk from a large communal bowl. Modern recipes begin with a base of wine, fruit juice or mulled ale, sometimes with brandy or sherry added, apples or oranges are often added to the mix and some recipes also call for beaten eggs to be tempered into the drink. Great bowls turned from wood, pottery or tin often had many handles for shared drinking and highly decorated lids; antique examples can still be found in traditional pubs. Hence the first stanza of the traditional carol the Gloucestershire Wassail dating back to the Middle Ages.
"Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink unto thee."
With our family, this has been a tradition that I started to make 18 years ago. I would make two batches (one for the adults and one for the kiddos). We love the smell that fills the house as I make it. several hours late we get to enjoy this warmed drink. I can see why carolers would sing praises to it as they go about caroling. If you would like to try it here's our recipe:
Spiced Wassail:
2 quarts of Apple Cider
3 cups of unsweetened pineapple Juice
2 cups of orange juice
1/2 cup of honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Tablespoon of whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 navel orange, sliced
1 medium lemon, sliced
Directions;
in a large stock pot over medium heat combine the apple cider, orange and pineapple juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves nutmeg, honey, orange and lemon slices. bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Discard the orange and lemon slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks before serving.
If you would like to make the adult version add a little vodka to your preference.... Hint, Hint, Wink, Wink ( we are pirates you know)
if you make this for your holidays let us know what you think of it and Merry Christmas to you and your family.