Christmas Time is my Favorite time of the year!
One of my favorite traditions during the holidays is to make a warm and delicious Christmas beverage called Wassail. The word "wassail" comes from the Old Norse greeting ves heill, which means "be in good health" or "be fortunate". How fun is that!? Not only does it taste delicious, it makes your house smell like Christmas cheer!
I first enjoyed this beverage in the cutest small town in the Texas Hill Country. Wassailfest is an annual celebration in downtown New Braunfels, where the community gathers to kick off the holiday season with free wassail tastings, festive lights, and live music. Attendees can sample a variety of unique wassail recipes from various businesses and shop from downtown businesses.
Wassail is a traditional German holiday beverage consisting of a warm, spiced apple drink, optional cranberry juice, orange juice, and other spices and flavors. It may contain alcohol (leaded) or not (unleaded).
I fell in love with Wassail and have been making it ever since!
Ingredients:
1 gallon apple cider
4 c orange juice (I use fresh squeezed)
4 hibiscus tea bags
10 cinnamon sticks
whole cloves* (see instructions below for quantity)
1 TBSP juniper berries
1 ½ in piece of fresh ginger, cut into slices
1 whole apple
1 whole orange
2 sticks of fresh rosemary
*add liquor of your choice (optional)
Directions:
In a large saucepan combine the apple cider, orange juice, hibiscus tea, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, and rosemary.
Peel the ginger and cut into slices. Wash and slice the apple with the skin on and place in the pan.
Wash the orange and stick whole cloves around either in a design or sporadically. You can add as many as you like, just be aware that cloves can be on the strong side so not too many. Place the contents on medium heat.
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 1-2 hours.
You can also place all contents in a slow cooker and place on high for 2 hours or low for 4-6 hrs. Enjoy!