Recipe - Christmas Wassail

4 Sticks cinnamon
2 tablespoon Whole cloves
2 tablespoon Ginger
3 cup Sugar
4 cup Strong tea
12 ounce Frozen orange juice
6 ounce Frozen lemon juice
2 qt Apple cider

This recipe was in our local paper this morning. If I were going to have a
party, I'd serve this for sure! I also enjoyed reading the background of
wassail: "One legend dates the first wassail to the fifth century, when the
Saxon subjects of a British overlord presented their master with a bowl of
ale and proclaimed, 'Lord King, be well!' According to this version, this
moment gave birth to the custom of touching mug to mug with cries of
"Wassail!" and "Drink hail!" . . . The first vessels probably weren't mugs
at all but hollowedout horns. . . . Toasting was so named because in the
early years of wassailing pieces of Yule cake or toast were floated on top
of the brew. . . Most ale wassails are concoctions of warm beer and sherry,
laced with nutmeg, grated ginger and lemon." Lawrence Journal World

Place spices in a cloth bag. In a tall stock pot, combine six cups of water
and the sugar. Add the spice bag and bring to a boil. After two to three
minutes, remove from heat and let stand overnight.

The following day, add the tea, orange juice, lemon juice and apple cider
to the mix. Add up to 10 6ounce cans of water and heat. Let simmer on the
stove.

Makes one gallon.

OPTION: Add one jigger of peach brandy to each cup before filling with hot
wassail.

Posted to EATL Digest by Phyllis Braun pbraun@IDIR.NET on Dec 17, 1997