Ideas for more traditional Christmas beverages…
Do you need ideas for more traditional Christmas beverages? It’s not all about the egg nog you know.
What about Wassail and the Wassailing tradition?
Firstly, wassail is a spiced hot apple drink drunk from a wassailing bowl.
Two very important ingredients for the Medieval Christmas tradition of Wassailing.
In Medieval times wassailing was an English ritual performed to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.
History
The earliest versions were warmed mead with apples dropped into the mix. The drink evolved to become a mulled cider made with sugar and spices, topped with pieces of toast and drunk from a large communal bowl.
Wassailing – a traditional ceremony involving singing and drinking under the apple trees to ensure a plentiful harvest of fruit. Toast soaked in wassail was offered as a gift to the tree spirits.
Wassail Poem:
Wassail, wassail all over the town,
Our toast is white and our ale is brown,
Our bowl is made of white maple tree,
With the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink to thee!
Wassailing although still practiced in some parts has been replaced today by Christmas caroling.
Wassail Recipe:
There are many hot apple cider recipes. They don’t all have to be alcohol based. For a family friendly version look for an alcohol free cider.
Ingredients
- 3.5 litres apple cider
- 1.9 litres cranberry juice
- 1 tblsp bitters
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon white allspice
- 2 oranges (studded with cloves)
Steps
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Combine apple cider, cranberry juice, bitters, cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves, and optional rum in a large saucepan over low to medium-low heat.
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Heat gently on the stove and serve warm.
So with the wassailing season upon us, drink responsibly, be safe, so that our days will be merry and bright for all!
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