“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.”
There you go!
The wassail song we have heard all these years, but does anyone know what it is?
Wassail is a delicious and festive offering for the holidays.
Wassail is traditionally enjoyed as an integral part of “wassailing”, an ancient English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest.
The purpose of wassailing was/is to awaken the cider apple trees, scaring away evil spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit in the Autumn.
Even though there are many variations of wassail recipes, here’s one we think you’ll enjoy.
WASSAIL RECIPE
Author: Colleen Kennedy
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 35 mins
This traditional festive holiday drink can be served with or without alcohol so everyone can enjoy it.
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 1 ½ cups orange juice (no pulp)
- 6 oz can of pineapple juice
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 3 TBS sugar
- ¼ cup mulling spices OR to make your own mulling spice by combining 4 sticks of cinnamon, 3 long strips of orange rind, 1 TBS whole cloves and 1 TBS whole allspice berries.
Instructions
- Combine everything in a large pot; bring to a boil, stirring often. (If you have a metal spice ball, use it, if not, just throw it all in then pour through a strainer prior to serving or storing).
- Turn off the stove and let it sit for 30 minutes before reheating to serve.
- Serve it very warm like you would tea.
- You can make it ahead, refrigerate it and reheat as necessary.
- Wassail keeps well for 4-5 days.
