Yule Wassail Recipe

Wassail is a traditional yuletide drink. In olden times it was drunk during wassailing, an ancient drinking ritual, to ensure a bountiful apple harvest for the next year. Wassail in Old English literally means "be you healthy" and through wassailing promotes the health of the trees. It's main purpose was to scare away evil spirits from the cider apple trees so that they may grow and thrive.

Traditionally, the drink was made with a base of cider and topped with pieces of toast. However, modernized wassail drink recipes now have a base of ale, fruit juice, or wine and include apple and/or orange slices.

Here's a traditional carol about wassailing:

Gloucestershire Wassail

    Wassail, wassail all over the town
    Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown
    Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree
    With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek
Pray God send our master a good piece of beef
And a good piece of beef that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie
A good Christmas pie that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn
May God send our master a good crop of corn
And a good crop of corn that may we all see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear
Pray God send our master a happy New Year
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee

And here is to Colly and to her long tail
Pray God send our master he never may fail
A bowl of strong beer! I pray you draw near
And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear

Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best
Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest
But if you do draw us a bowl of the small
Then down shall go butler, bowl and all

Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin
For to let these jolly wassailers in.

Reference:Gloucestershire Wassail

Yule Wassail Recipe

From: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulecooking/r/Wassail.htm

By: Patti Wigington

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Gallon apple cider
2 C. cranberry juice
1/2 C honey
1/2 C sugar
2 oranges
Whole cloves
1 apple, peeled and diced
Allspice
Ginger
Nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)


Preparation:


Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.