I was familiar with the popular Christmas song, “Here we come a-wassailing”, but had no idea that a wassail as a noun is a delicious hot apple cider drink! Once I discovered the existence of this drink I had to make it! This quick hot wassail recipe is:
Quick and easy to make
It’s sweet but tangy
Packs a punch of gingery spice
And will warm you from the inside out!
Ingredients For Hot Wassail
The main component of a hot wassail is apple cider.
To keep this recipe timely, I purchase my apple cider but feel free to make your own if you’d like! Apples are abundant in Ontario, Canada so apple cider is relatively inexpensive around the holidays which means we can make a large batch of this wassail for a relatively low cost.
The ingredients you will need for this hot wassail recipe are:
- Apple Cider
- Orange Juice (preferably without pulp)
- Lemon Juice
- 1 Apple
- Whole Cloves
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Star Anise
- And Fresh Ginger
How To Make Hot Wassail
This quick hot wassail recipe is ready in just 45 – 50 minutes depending on how long you heat up your wassail!
Take a few minutes to prep the ingredients by:
- Slicing the apple into 4 rings and poking 16 whole cloves into the apple slices.
- Peeling and slicing the fresh ginger.
I usually use a knife to peel my ginger but another quick method is to just scrape the skin off with a spoon! Piping Pot Curry has a great blog post on peeling and slicing ginger!
With your ingredients prepared:
- Add the apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice to a large pot.
- Toss in 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise, and the sliced ginger.
- Lay the apple rings on top and heat the wassail until it reaches a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 – 45 minutes until warmed through and fragrant!
Alcoholic Wassail
To serve an alcoholic wassail simply add 1 ½ to 2 ounces of the alcohol you desire to a mug and then fill your mug with the hot wassail.
Whisky, rum, brandy, and bourbon would all compliment the wassail nicely!
Recipe Cost
This wonderfully spiced apple cider costs us:
CAD $4.19 if we purchase our apple cider from our wholesale store.
And CAD $6.93 if we purchase our apple cider from our local grocery store.
This recipe makes enough for us to get between 6-8 mugs of hot wassail!
Let me know in the comments below if you are new to making wassail as well or if it is a family tradition!
If you are a hot wine fan during the colder months, don’t miss our Simple & Spiced Mulled Wine!
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A Quick Hot Wassail Recipe To Warm You Up
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A quick hot wassail recipe perfect for the holidays! Boost up your hot apple cider with this easy recipe & add whisky for extra warmth!
Ingredients
- 8 cups apple cider*
- 1 ½ cups orange juice (preferably no pulp)*
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 1 apple (sliced into 4 rings and poked with cloves)*
- 16 whole cloves
- 2 ½ thumb sized pieces of ginger (peeled and sliced)
- 1 ½ – 2 oz whisky per cup, optional (or use alcohol of choice)*
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Prepare the apple by slicing it into 4 rings and poking each ring with 4 of the whole cloves.
- Add the apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice to a large pot. Add in the cinnamon sticks, star anise, apple rings, and peeled and sliced ginger (an easy way to peel ginger is to just scrape the skin off with a spoon).
- Bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes.
- Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm if desired. Alternatively, make the wassail entirely in your slow cooker by heating it through on high for at least 2 hours and then switching to keep warm (you can likely cook the wassail for 4 – 6 hours in your slow cooker if you have the time. The longer cooking time will help get the most flavour out of the spices and apple slices).
- To serve an alcoholic wassail, pour the alcohol in the glass first and then top it with hot wassail. Garnish with a fresh cinnamon stick or slice of apple if desired.
- For a non-alcoholic wassail simply ladle into mugs, garnish as desired, and enjoy!
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator and can be reheated on the stove-top or in the microwave.
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $4.93 – $6.13 depending on where we purchase our apple cider. Any alcohol added would add to the cost.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Hot Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: European
Dee
Made this tonight for after dinner with friends and it was soooo good! Everyone loved it! Thanks for the fun new drink! Cheers 🙂
Kathryn Alexandre
Aw great! I’m glad everyone loved it! I agree, it’s nice to switch up the party drinks and even have a slightly different spin on a hot apple cider. Thank you so much for trying it and leaving a star rating!