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Traditional Wassail

Photo Credit
Sam Jones/Quinn Brein
Written By: Jennifer Keating Digital Editor
Yield
Serves 8 to 12.
Category
Beverages
Course
Other
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
Traditional Holiday Recipes

For centuries, going back to Anglo-Saxon times, holiday revelers have wished each other “Wes hal!” (“Be whole!”) while sharing this spiced apple drink. Try making wassail to warm your body and soul!

Wassail was traditionally enjoyed on Twelfth Night to mark the end of Christmas festivities and, in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration.

Old-fashioned wassail contains roasted apples, which swell up and burst apart in the hot punch … we promise it is worth the extra effort.

Looking for a nonalcoholic version? Try our light wassail!

Ingredients
5 to 6 large baking apples, peeled and cored
1 cup sugar
2 quarts beer or ale
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half, or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
zest of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups sherry or sweet red wine

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the apples into thick slices, and arrange them in layers in a covered casserole dish, sprinkling a few teaspoons of sugar over each layer. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. (The apples will get puffy and soft.)
  2. Combine the beer, spices, lemon zest, and remaining sugar while the apples bake in a large saucepan. Heat slowly, bringing it just to a simmer (Don’t let the mixture boil). 
  3. When it is hot, add the sherry and keep heating until the mixture reaches a simmer again, still not boiling. 
  4. Place the hot baked apples in a punch bowl, and pour the hot wassail over them. 
  5. Serve hot.

 

About The Author
Jennifer Keating

Jennifer Keating

Digital Editor

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She is an active equestrian and spends much of her free time at the barn. When she’s not riding, she loves caring for her extensive collecti...
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Comments

<span>Janet Peyton</span> Fri, 01/05/2024 - 09:56
Thank you for the wasail recipe. Could you suggest the type of beer to be used traditionally. There are so many craft beers on the market.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 01/05/2024 - 10:50

Hi, Janet. Any kind of Irish red ale (such as Sam Adam's or Smithwick's) would work well. Sam Adam's Boston ale is another good choice. Enjoy!

 <span>Heather</span> Wed, 01/06/2021 - 06:25
Thank you so much for publishing this recipe; it's the first one for Wassail that actually tasted like the ones I used to drink at UK Christmas markets! The only difference I made was to use dry red wine as I'm not such a fan of very sweet drinks, and it was perfect.
<span>Tanya</span> Thu, 12/13/2018 - 12:40
What? No cloves? I have an old recipe that is alcohol free that we've been making in our family for over 50 years.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 12/20/2018 - 09:28

Hi, Tanya. We do have another recipe for wassail that includes ground cloves. Just click here.

 <span>Nancy Lamontagne</span> Wed, 12/12/2018 - 17:59
Not being a drinker is there something that could be used in place of alcohol. Cider etc
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 12/20/2018 - 09:29

Hi, Nancy. We do have a non-alcoholic wassail recipe here.

 <span>Jodi Kimball</span> Sat, 11/21/2015 - 11:02
From what I've researched, Toast was floated on top of the wassail, this is what gave the appearance of lamb's wool.