Think of wassail as hot mulled cider with a twist. Combining apple cider, fruit juices, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and nutmeg yields a warm, comforting, and festive drink that will banish the winter chill and is perfect served on Christmas Eve. This is a non-alcoholic wassail recipe, but you can easily make it boozy with your favorite hard liquor (ideas below).
This Yuletide drink has a rich history dating back to the Pagan tradition of wassailing, where people would walk around orchards, singing and pouring wine on the ground, to promote a good harvest for the following year. Years later, wassailing was the tradition of going door-to-door and singing to one’s neighbors (like caroling!). The word evolved from a Middle English greeting, waes hael, meaning be thou hale, or, as we would say today, be in good health. It was often drunk from a wassail bowl, a kind of large goblet that could be passed around. For more hot festive drink recipes, try my apple cider recipe, hot chocolate recipe, or hot toddy recipe.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Apple cider — the sweetness and complexity of apple cider make it a wonderful choice for this hot wassail recipe. You could swap it for apple juice if you prefer.
Orange juice — the citrus brightens up the spiced cider. Use fresh orange juice, if possible, for the best flavor.
Lemon juice — lemon juice adds a bit of sourness to balance the sweetness of the apple cider.
Whole spices — you’ll need cinnamon sticks and whole cloves for a warm cozy flavor. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Ground spices — aromatic ground ginger and a pinch of ground nutmeg take this hot drink to the next level.
How to Make Wassail
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves.
3. Then sprinkle in the ground ginger and ground nutmeg.
4. Place over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir occasionally. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low or medium-low heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the spices have flavored the drink to your preference. While it’s still hot, ladle it into mugs with apple slices or orange slices and a cinnamon stick.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use freshly grated nutmeg. Grating your own nutmeg only takes a few seconds, and the flavor is far superior to the pre-grated kind. Unlike other ground spices, nutmeg’s flavor rapidly lessens once it is ground or grated, so the jars of preground nutmeg have little flavor compared to freshly grated!
- For a sweeter version: Add 1 cup of pineapple juice, or replace the lemon juice with pineapple juice or more orange juice for a sweeter spiced cider. You could also sweeten the mixture with brown sugar or maple syrup to suit your taste preference.
- Use different spices. You can use different warm spices to change up the flavor. Mix and match until you get your desired flavor. Star anise and allspice are two of my favorites if I want to add a little twist to my drink. Or, to simplify the recipe, use 1 tablespoon of mulling spice in place of the whole and ground spices.
- Make it in a slow cooker: Combine all the ingredients in your Crock Pot or Instant Pot set to slow cook, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours on Low. Turn on Warm to keep the beverage hot if serving it during a party or over an extended period.
Frequently Asked Questions
While both drinks have a complex flavor, a traditional wassail recipe is more fragrant and heavily spiced. Apple cider tastes much more like apples.
Yes, you can definitely make an alcoholic drink with this recipe. Add 1 to 2 ounces of brandy, cognac, or rum to a mug, then ladle in the hot drink. You can use light rum, dark rum, or spiced rum, depending on what flavor you are going for. Light rum will impart the least flavor so the fruit and spices shine, dark rum adds caramel notes, and spiced rum up the spice ante. I prefer not to add alcohol while the drink simmers because you run the risk of cooking off all the alcohol, and it makes the beverage suitable for all guests and kids.
Yes! I prefer making it the day I am serving it because you can’t beat the aroma it creates in the kitchen, which my guests always love. But you can make it a day or 2 in advance, strain out the spices through cheese cloth or a fine mesh sieve, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop on medium heat when you are ready to serve it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container or pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it in a pot over medium heat on the stove top.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Wassail
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 quarts apple cider (1.8L)
- 2 cups orange juice (480ml)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (120ml)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 15 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients. Place over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the spices have steeped to your taste. (If preferred, you can sweeten the mixture with brown sugar or maple syrup.)
- Serve hot in mugs with an apple or orange slice and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- Use freshly grated nutmeg. Grating your own nutmeg only takes a few seconds, and the flavor is far superior to the pre-grated kind. Unlike other ground spices, nutmeg’s flavor rapidly lessens once it is ground or grated, so the jars of preground nutmeg have little flavor compared to freshly grated!
- For a sweeter version: Add 1 cup of pineapple juice, or replace the lemon juice with pineapple juice or more orange juice for a sweeter spiced cider. You could also sweeten the mixture with brown sugar or maple syrup to suit your taste preference.
- Use different spices. You can use different warm spices to change up the flavor. Mix and match until you get your desired flavor. Star anise and allspice are two of my favorites if I want to add a little twist to my drink. Or, to simplify the recipe, use 1 tablespoon of mulling spice in place of the whole and ground spices.
- Make it in a slow cooker: Combine all the ingredients in your Crock Pot or Instant Pot set to slow cook, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours on Low. Turn on Warm to keep the beverage hot if serving it during a party or over an extended period.
Leave a Reply