As much as I love hot cocoa, there is something about a warm, cozy cup of hot cider that just cannot be beat! Even better when it’s a citrusy version called wassail. A family in our neighborhood used to always give us a jar of homemade wassail dry mix that you’d add to hot water and enjoy. I loved it and it seemed to be an even better version of hot apple cider with hints of citrus and stronger hints of flavors like cloves and nutmeg.

I found a really great five-star recipe for a big batch of non-alcoholic wassail you can make up for a holiday party or gathering with friends. The woman who came up with this recipe said she made it up for a big holiday party she was throwing for her church where they grabbed a hot mug of this wassail and bundled into the back of a horse-drawn carriage for a sleigh ride. Everyone raved about the hot drink and I can see why. It is really easy to make and will be a big hit for whatever occasion you’d make it for.

What is Wassail Anyway?

Before we get to that recipe, you, like me, might be wondering what the heck wassail is anyway, or where the term comes from. First off, let’s talk pronunciation--it is an old British word and you pronounce it like it rhymes with “fossil”. When you hear the word wassail these days, it is pretty much just associated with being a drink, but originally, it was an event called wassailling. 

Origins of Wassail Punch

Wassailling is a tradition that goes way back that is rarely done today. The word “wassail” comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. “Wassail” can trace its origins back to Pre-Christian Britain where they would celebrate the New Year with the Anglo-Saxon tradition in the halls of the Lord of the Manor with a giant feast and big bowl of “punch”--a mix of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar.

These days some people still Wassail on Twelfth Night (or sometimes Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve) and go out into the apple orchards, singing old songs, make loud noises and dance around to ward off evil spirits and to “wake up” the crops so they will give them a good crop of apples the following year. 

They would  sometimes even place toast, soaked in beer or cider, onto the boughs of the trees to feed and thank the trees for giving them apples. This is where the term “toast” comes from when toasting someone with a drink. Interesting, right? I love learning the origins of where things come from. I never thought when I learned about wassail punch that I would learn why we “toast” when we share drinks with people. 

We are going up to spend some time in a snowy cabin by a lake with my husband’s family for a few days during the holidays so I can’t wait to have a big batch of this simmering on the stove when we come in from making snow angels and snowmen all day. I think we will also do plenty of dancing and singing but it will be more to the likes of Katy Perry and Bruno Mars and less like old folksy English songs :)

What is your favorite holiday drink to get in the festive spirit? Are you more of a hot cocoa person? Perhaps eggnog? Please share in the comments below.



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