Winter Wassail

December 12, 2011 • Alaska from Scratch, Beverages, Holidays & Occasions, Recipes

Weather: 34 degrees and over a foot of fresh powdery snow outside
What I’m listening to: Manor House String Quartet, I Saw Three Ships and Other Carols

Wassail is a hot, mulled punch served at Christmastime. It has cider in it, but it’s often more than cider, like this version which uses four different juices – cranberry, apple, lemon, and pineapple. It also cooks with fresh orange slices on top and makes your entire home smell divine. I made a huge crock-pot full of this for our church Christmas party and everyone seemed to really enjoy it and it was gone about halfway through the party.

Wassail is also an old English word meaning “to toast” or “good health” and there is also a famous old Christmas carol called “The Wassail Song” – one of my favorites. One of the lines goes like this:

Love and joy come to you, 

and to you your wassail, too
and God bless you and send you a Happy New Year

So, cook up some Wassail and enjoy God’s blessings on you this season.

Winter Wassail

Adapted from Allrecipes

  • 1/2 gallon apple cider
  • 1/2 gallon cranberry juice
  • 1c lemon juice
  • 1-1/4 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 large orange, thinly sliced
  • 24 whole cloves
  • 1/4c honey
  • 1/2c sugar
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Place all the ingredients in a large pot or crock pot. Heat on low, covered, 1-2 hours. Serve hot.