Oh, Here We Come A-Wassailing! (How to Make Wassail)

Oh, here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green.
Here we come a-wand’ring
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail, too,
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

 Wassail is my new favorite.

My new favorite holiday drink and my new favorite word!

Wassail.

Fun to say, funner to drink.

Wassail is actually hot mulled cider.  The name comes from the Old English was hál, which means good health and was a “cheers” of sorts in medieval times.

Here’s how I got into wassail: recently I was sitting in my kitchen browsing cookbooks and I started looking through one from my Great Gramma Faye.  It’s a 1980 collection of recipes put together by her and the ladies of her church, meaning it includes lots of “old fashioned” recipes from a generation who probably started cooking around the time of the first World War.  I had it for a long time, but hadn’t looked through it much, which was silly because it has a lot of great information about canning, and is replete with everything from Appetizers, Relishes & Pickles to Cakes, Cookies, Frostings & Confections.

So as I’m going through the pages, I come across some recipes my grandma added that were hand-written!  One had a side note saying she learned it in 1975 from her cousin from Scotland.  I bet you can guess what it was!

I made this “Christmas Wassail” for Thanksgiving because it intrigued me and also because I needed a trial run making it in the first place.

It was a hit!

In memory of my grandma (who I think would be delighted) and with the mirth of the holiday spirit, I’d love to share with you Cousin Colleen’s Christmas Wassail.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 gallons apple cider
1 pint cranberry juice
1 cup of rum
1 tsp aromatic bitters
¾ cup sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 ½ tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice
1 small orange studded with whole cloves

*Note: I did also make a version without the bitters and rum for the non-drinkers in the group.  No one wants a drunk kid on their watch!

Here’s how you do it:

The original instructions are to cook 4 to 8 hours on low heat.  Serve Warm.

I combined everything in a slow cooker and set to low for 4 hours.

Pretty simple huh?

You can heat and then keep the wassail warm in the slow cooker for the duration.  I would recommend starting with the low setting, then adjusting to warm after 4 hours so it isn’t crazy hot when served.   Provide a ladle and mugs.  Or if you’d rather use a punch bowl (as I did), simply transfer the wassail in small batches as needed to keep it nice and hot.

However you choose to serve your Christmas wassail, it will undoubtedly be a huge hit!  There is nothing like hot, fortified cider on a cold winter day.  It’s good for the bones and good for the soul.

Was hál! 

Get the printable here -> Cousin Colleen’s Christmas Wassail

(Psst! For more drink ideas see my Christmas dinner wine pairings guide!)