Hot Cranberry Wassail (Blogmas Day 2)

blogmas button 2014

You know this song, right? All together now!

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wand’ring
So fair to be seen.

I like to think this drink is so good that it has a hundreds year old Christmas carol written about it, but that’s not exactly the story. The word wassail actually means to wish others good health or good cheer, and it’s derived from the Old English greeting “wes þu hal” which means “Be of good health!” (my concentration in college was medieval English literature, can ya tell? oh…). It evolved into being a toast for festivities and eventually into the name for a hot spiced drink that is enjoyed at Christmas time. Bottom line: you must honor history by making this delicious drink.

This hot, sweet spiced drink is a delicious treat on a cold night!

Hot Cranberry Wassail
Author: Lauren
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 qt. cranberry juice
  • 1 qt. apple cider (apple juice will work too)
  • 1 c. pineapple juice
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 t. whole cloves
  • 1/2 T. chunk of fresh ginger root
  • 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced (optional for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Bring all the ingredients (except the orange) to a boil together in a large pot, covered.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. (Alternatively, put the ingredients in a crockpot and heat on high for 4 hours.)
  4. Serve hot with orange slices in each mug for garnish! Add a splash of rum to your serving if you please.
Notes
Use the good stuff for this recipe, 100% juices with no sugar added!

 

This hot, sweet spiced drink is a delicious treat on a cold night!

We’ve actually been making wassail in my family for quite a few years, it’s become another holiday tradition. It’s really good for company or holiday parties or any time when you want to fill your house with an incredible smell and warm up lots of cold people! A little rum inside makes it extra warming, but of course feel free to omit it for a family friendly drink. Either way it’s absolutely delicious!

This hot, sweet spiced drink is a delicious treat on a cold night!

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.

See you tomorrow!

-Lauren

2 Responses

  1. […] By Lauren @ Dash of Soul […]

  2. Thalia @ butter and brioche
    |

    I’ve never heard of wassail before! This is definitely something that I need to try for Christmas though, I love hot spiked drinks this time of year.