by James Coulter
The nights are getting longer. The weather is getting cooler. So, what better way to warm up on a cold winter night than with a hot drink? Question is, what hot drink do you prefer: hot cocoa or hot apple cider?
Personally, I’m more of a cider kind of person. Which is why, around this time of year, I love to prepare wassail.
What’s wassail? Essentially, it’s a hot spiced apple cider. The drink was so popular during the holidays they even wrote songs about it. Ever heard of, “Here we come a wassailing”?
And what, exactly, is wassailing? Essentially, it’s a medieval form of caroling where people would go door-to-door singing Christmas songs and sharing hot drinks.
Anyway, like I said, this time of year, I love to prepare wassail. Nothing warms you up after a long cold day than heating some apple cider on the stove with cinnamon sticks and apples with cloves.
Actually, I stand corrected. The only thing that warms you up more is drinking the wassail you prepared.
I’ve been using this recipe for the past few years. It combines apple cider with different fruit juices and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The result is a warm brew that’s perfect on a cold winter night.
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Wassail (from Tastes Better from Scratch)
Ingredients
• 2 apples
• 8 cups apple cider
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 15 whole whole cloves, or ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar, optional
Directions
1. Poke the whole cloves into the apples on all sides.
2. Add all of the ingredients, including the apples, to a large pot over medium-low heat.
3. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4. Remove the apples and whole cloves. Ladle into mugs and enjoy!
