Traditional Hot Wassail Drink Recipe - Comfort Food at Home (2024)

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It’s that time of year again when the leaves start to change color, and the weather starts to cool down. So it’s finally time for hot wassail! This traditional drink is perfect for fall and only takes six simple ingredients.

Wassail is a type of mulled cider or wine, and it’s ideal for a holiday party or family gathering. Today, I’ll show you how to make it step-by-step in this blog post. So gather your ingredients and get ready to warm up with a delicious cup of wassail!

Traditional Hot Wassail Drink Recipe - Comfort Food at Home (1)

The cool season is coming, and I am HERE FOR IT!

I love all things pumpkin spice, cozy fires, and, best of all – hot wassail! This delicious drink is perfect for fall and winter gatherings, and it’s always a hit with my friends and family.

Bonus- it only requires six simple ingredients!

What is Wassail?

Wassail is a type of spiced cider or wine punch that originated in medieval England. The word “wassail” comes from the Old Norse language, meaning “be in good health.”

Wassail was traditionally made with apples, sugar, spices, and ale or wine. It was often given as a Christmas gift, and people would go door-to-door wassailing, which is where the carol “Here We Come A-Wassailing” comes from.

These days, a hot wassail drink is typically made with apple cider, orange juice, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves. You can also add in other spices like nutmeg or allspice.

It’s super easy to make, and you can adjust the sweetness to your taste!

Ingredients needed

To make this hot wassail recipe, you will need the following ingredients…

  • Apple juice: You can use fresh apple juice or store-bought. If you use store-bought, ensure it’s 100% juice with no added sugar. You’ll need a good 2 quarts for this recipe.
  • Orange juice: Both fresh and store-bought juice work, but I would get the kind with zero pulp. We want to keep this drink as smooth as possible. If you use store-bought, ensure it’s 100% juice with no added sugar. 1 cup is plenty!
  • Water: Just plain old water, no need to get fancy here. You’ll need 2 cups to add to the base of the wassail.
  • Sugar: To sweeten things up, we’ll be using sugar. You can use white sugar, brown sugar, or even honey. I prefer to use white sugar, but it’s really up to you. You’ll need 1/4 cup of sugar.
  • Cinnamon sticks: These add a nice flavor and aroma to the wassail. 3 cinnamon sticks are perfect!
  • Whole cloves: Cloves are another key ingredient. They add a spicy kick that takes this drink to the next level. 1 tablespoon is all you need.
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Kitchen equipment needed

Here are a few things you’ll need to make the best cup of hot wassail:

  • Large pot
  • Strainer
  • Cooking spoon
  • Ladle
  • Mugs
  • 1/4 cup, 1 cup, and a tablespoon

What to serve with hot Christmas wassail

While wassail is delicious on its own, there are a few things that go great with it. First, you can’t go wrong with a piece of apple cinnamon pizza or a slice of homemade carrot cake.

A moist pumpkin chocolate chip muffin + a cup of hot piping wassail? YUM!

You can also serve wassail with a side of holiday cookies or a festive fruit salad. A few chewy snickerdoodle cookies, perhaps?

For an extra special treat, top your wassail with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

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FAQs

Whenever I share this hot wassail recipe, I get some of the same questions. Here are the most popular ones that people ask!

If you have a question that isn’t listed here, please leave them in the comments, and I’ll answer them as soon as I possibly can.

How long does wassail last?

Typically, wassail lasts about 3-4 days in the fridge. After that, the flavors start to change, and it doesn’t taste as good. So if you want it to last longer, you can freeze it for up to 6 months.

Can I make hot wassail without alcohol?

Yes, you can! This recipe is for a non-alcoholic drink, but if you’d like to add some, you can use 1-2 cups of red wine or hard apple cider. If you go this route, I would recommend cutting back on the sugar since those liquids are already sweet.

Can I make this drink ahead of time?

Yes, you can make wassail ahead of time! In fact, I think it tastes even better when it’s been made a day or two in advance.

Follow the recipe up until the point where you need to strain it. Then, let it cool completely and store it in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve it, heat it up on the stove and strain it again.

More grandma-approved recipes to try

If you enjoyed this recipe for a traditional wassail drink, take a look at some of these other delicious recipes:

If you decide to try this recipe, let me know. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Hot Wassail

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It's that time of year again when the leaves start to change color, and the weather starts to cool down. So it's finally time for hot wassail! This traditional drink is perfect for fall and only takes six simple ingredients.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 quarts apple juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 cups water
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 Tablespoon whole cloves

Instructions

  1. Boil water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in a large pot for 10 minutes until the oil from the spices have been boiled into the water.
  2. Strain out spices and discard.
  3. Add apple juice and orange juice to spiced water mixture.
  4. Stir and keep over low heat until it's warm.
  5. Ladle into mugs and enjoy!
  • Author: Laura
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Drinks
  • Cuisine: English
Traditional Hot Wassail Drink Recipe - Comfort Food at Home (2024)

FAQs

What is wassail drink made of? ›

What is Wassail? Wassail is like the tastier sister to Apple Cider. Traditional wassail was made with hard liquor, apples, brandy, and other spices. This recipe is made with cloves, apples, cinnamon, lemon, orange, ginger, and nutmeg and is a nonalcoholic wassail recipe.

What's the difference between mulled cider and wassail? ›

There are very few differences between mulled cider and Wassail Punch. Both contain spices and some juice. One of the main differences is that mulled wine is often made with whole oranges. However, Wassail is traditionally made with apple juice.

What are the traditions of wassailing? ›

What is wassailing? The purpose is to encourage the spirits into ensuring a good harvest the following season. It takes place on the twelfth night after Christmas and involves a visit to a nearby orchard for singing, dancing, drinking and general merrymaking.

What is the history of the wassail drink? ›

The history of wassail is as long as it is varied. The earliest mention of wassail is in the pagan ritual of Apple Wassailing dating back to the English Middle Ages. This drinking ritual was to ensure a good apple harvest and would have occurred on the old Twelfth Night (January 17).

What is a wassail cup? ›

Groups of people, Wassailers, would go from home-to-home entertaining families and would be given Wass Ale, warm ale or cider flavoured with spices. It is thought that this was pre-Christian. The ale was probably served in silver cups which were then hung from the evergreen branches used to decorate people's homes.

What does wassail mean in Old English? ›

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "wassail" originated as a borrowing from the Old Norse salutation ves heill, corresponding to Old English hál wes þú or wes hál; literally meaning 'be in good health' or 'be fortunate'.

Is wassail good for you? ›

Because wassail is made with fruit juices and spices such as cinnamon and ginger, it can be soothing for a cold, and may even be helpful in easing congestion.

What liquor is best in hot cider? ›

I prefer bourbon but whiskey or a dark rum with caramel flavors would also work wonderfully. What kind of bourbon goes in spiked apple cider? I used Makers Mark for this recipe which is one of my favorite bourbon brands. However, other brands I also recommend Four Roses or Woodford Reserve as other great options.

What is a fun fact about wassail? ›

“Wassail” is the modern spelling of the old English phrase “waes hael” meaning “good health!” Shared as a salutation or toast, the proper response was “drink health!” and indeed, wassail is a drink, as well.

What is wassailing alcohol? ›

Wassail (/ˈwɒsəl/, /-eɪl/ WOSS-əl, -⁠ayl, most likely from Old Norse "ves heill") is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale, or wine and spices, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient English Yuletide drinking ritual and salutation either involved in door-to-door charity-giving or used to ...

What is the spiritual meaning of wassailing? ›

Origin of Wassailing

The goal of this pagan tradition is to ensure a good harvest in the year to come by enticing good spirits to come to the orchard (they like the song and dance part), and to frighten away bad spirits that might wreak havoc and ruin this year's crop!

Is wassail pagan? ›

Wassailing: an ancient Pagan ritual conducted in deep mid-winter, to bless Apples trees for a bountiful harvest for the next season. The last time I wrote an article about Wassailing was in 2000 for CAMRA's Good Cider Guide, which was then edited by Dave Matthews.

What is a wassail toast? ›

1. : an early English toast to someone's health. 2. : a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime. 3.

What is in Trader Joe's wassail? ›

A sweetened blend of black currant, apple, and lemon juices, with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and orange peel, Trader Joe's Winter Wassail is a fruit punch whose flavors and aromas evoke the holidays. You can serve it chilled, over ice with bourbon; or warmed, in a big mug, with a cinnamon stick garnish.

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