Recipes for Yuletide Cheer ~ Waes Hael (Wassail)

Tis the Season....

Wassail! Wassail all over the town!

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;

With the wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek!

Pray God send out master a good piece of beef,

And a good piece of beef that we all may see;

With the wassailing-bowl we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye!

Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,

And a good Christmas pie that we may all see;

With our wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here is to Broad May and to her broad horn!

May God send our master a good crop of corn,

And a good crop of corn that we may all see;

With the wassailing-bowl we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear!

Pray God send our master a happy new year,

And a happy new year as e'er he did see;

With our wassailing-bowl we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Colly and to her long tail!

Pray God send our master he never may fail

A bowl of strong beer, I pray you draw near,

And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.

Then here's to the maid in the lily-white smock

Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock;

Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin,

For to let these jolly wassailers in.

Wassail! Wassail all over the town!

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;

With the wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee!

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It is once again, hot boozy drink season and Wassail is one of my favorite hot mulled punches of the Yule Season. Often drunk from a wassailing bowl, the earliest versions of Wassail were made from warmed mead, ale or hard cider. One of my favorite versions of this punch hails from the time of Shakespeare and  is aptly named Lambswool, because roasted crab apples were dropped into the bubbling cider where they heated and burst open to create a delightfully foamy drink that resembled a very fuzzy lamb.  Later, the drink evolved to become a mulled cider made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and then topped with slices of toast. It was then drunk from a large communal bowl which is why you see so many antique wassail bowls with handles.

Modern recipes begin with a base of wine, fruit juice or mulled ale, sometimes with brandy or sherry added. Apples or oranges are often added to the mix, and some recipes also call for beaten eggs to be tempered into the drink. I always add butter because I like the softness of flavor it adds. 

The traditional Apple Orchard Wassailing is held on the old Twelfth Night (17 January) as a ritual to ask the good spirits for an abundant apple harvest. The villagers would form a circle around the largest apple tree, hang pieces of toast soaked in cider in the branches for the robins, who represent the 'good spirits' of the tree.

I love to drink Wassail all season long, but Solstice eve is generally when I “Waes Hael” my apple trees. I use toasted pieces of cinnamon raisin bread for a bit of extra fine magic! 

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The New England Lady Apple more commonly known as “Christmas Apples”

You will need:

A large pot

1 gallon of fresh apple cider

1 large bottle of red wine, beer, sherry or several cups of brandy- Use whatever you would enjoy.

Small lady apples that you have studded with cloves

A sliced orange

A muslin bag or large tea ball filled with the spices of your choice- I like Rosemary, Coriander, Cloves, star anise, allspice berries and orange peel.

½ a stick of salted butter

1 cup of maple syrup or dark brown sugar

Several cinnamon sticks

The rest is easy. Heat the cider and put in the apples, butter, sugar and spices. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes. Then add the wine, sherry or brandy. Let it simmer for another 20 minutes and serve! If you have grandchildren they will love watching the apples burst! It makes the punch sort a fuzzy gray color but it's absolutely delicious and such a fun part of history!

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