Why is wassail the perfect holiday drink? Because it’s great for a crowd. It’s made from cheap ingredients, so it’s budget-friendly, no alcohol, it’s kid-friendly, and it’s full of warming spices, perfect for the winter season!
Additionally, the hands-on time for this drink is less than 10 minutes, so it is great if you are hosting and have other things to do, or if you just don’t want to be in the kitchen all day!
I think this drink could technically be called wassail, but the many recipes I’ve seen for it online have so many variations, that some people would call this wassail and others may call it spiced cider.
When I made this I called it wassail, so I’m going to keep calling it that.
What is wassail?
Wassail is a drink made from apples, spices, and sometimes alcohol. Ever heard the Christmas song that says “a wassailing we will go.”? (Or something along those lines) It was referencing drinking to people’s health while singing. I had never thought much of it except that I didn’t know what it was until a friend made wassail for me.
Apple cider is one of my favorite fall drinks, especially warm apple cider. My husband does not like warm apple cider, I just learned that this year.
This drink is a spiced version of apple cider with some added citrus. We made it for Thanksgiving and kept it on the stove all day on low. It could be kept warm in a crock pot as well. It’s a great caffeine-free hot drink alternative.
What spices go in wassail?
Traditionally, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are among some of the spices traditionally used. I used all of these plus allspice, a bit of salt, and brown sugar to sweeten.
Is wassail sugar-free?
I’m not sure about other recipes, but this one is not. You can make wassail without the brown sugar. You could use sweetener alternatives or just enjoy it without additional sweetener.
How do you make wassail?
Slice one apple, orange, and lime. These should be about a quarter-inch thick slices, if you go too thin, they can start to disintegrate into the drink.
Pour one gallon of apple juice or apple cider into a saucepan. Add the sliced fruit.
Into the saucepan, add ½ cup of brown sugar (or more or less to taste), 1 tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp allspice, and ¼ tsp salt. Salt might seem like a ridiculous thing to add to a warm drink but don’t omit it. I guarantee it helps draw out all the flavors.
You can also use cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon if that’s what you would prefer.
Bring all of the ingredients to a simmer and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. This gives all of the ingredients time to meld. It can be left on low heat for you or your guests to keep coming back to. You might have to add more apple juice or even some water to it though as it evaporates.
If you are ladling out glasses for your guests, add sliced fruit or cinnamon sticks for garnishes. You can also leave a small plate of these garnishes next to the pot if it’s self-serve!
I had leftovers and stored it in the fridge, reheating individual servings throughout the weekend and it tasted just as good as when I first made it. I love this drink and have at least two more occasions in the next few weeks that I will be making it.
While I think that this is the perfect winter/holiday drink, you should check out our favorite summer drink, Purple Basil Tea.
Let me know what you think of this drink in the comments down below!
Wassail
Ingredients
- 1 gallon unsweetened apple juice or cider
- 1 sliced apple
- 1 sliced orange
- 1 sliced lime
- ½ cup brown sugar or more or less to taste
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Slice one apple, orange, and lime. These should be about a quarter inch thick slices,if you go too thin, they can start to disintegrate into the drink.
- Pour one gallon of apple juice or apple cider to a saucepan.
- Add the sliced fruit to the saucepan.
- Add ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp allspice, and ¼ tsp salt.
- Bring all of the ingredients to a simmer and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. It can simmer for more time than that but be prepared to add more apple juice or water if it reduces too much.
- Serve warm. Can be garnished with sliced citrus, apples, or a cinnamon stick.
Save it for later!
