So, dust off that crock pot you haven't used since you got it for your wedding.
Wassail
Cloved orange
2 sticks cinnamon
1 palmful allspice berries
2 quart apple cider (about 2 L)
2 cup cranberry juice (about 1/2 L)
Add everything together in the crock pot. Turn it on high for an hour, then leave it at low. You can drink it straight, or add rum, bourbon, whatever.
The only tricks are:
- A cloved orange is just an orange with whole cloves driven straight through the skin. Over the whole surface, about 1/2 to 1" apart (1-3 cm)
- Both juices should be unsweetened. Just trust me. That's the most obvious mistake. (And don't even think about cranapple. The proportions are all wrong.)
- If you're storing leftovers, the orange should get thrown away. It'll make the rest of the batch bitter and sour.
Happy early Solstice my Cynical Brother,
ReplyDeleteI equate wassail with mulled wine. The most important thing is that one is already buzzed while the creation is on the fire. My finest mull I ever created Christmas 1998 had all of the familiar ingredients. Red California wine, sans doubt! Heat less than half of the wine slowly so as to not boil off too much of the essential spirit, perhaps mixed half and half with cider at this early stage. Honey, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon sticks. Fruits, spices, what have you. But the thing that clinched the deal and made it the best I ever tasted was bringing it back to a low boil after adding one 12 oz. Becks beer. Then add the rest of wine that you do not wish to be evaporated in the flavoring process.
Et voilá! Bien sur! Joyeux Nöel tout le monde!
Here we come a-wassailing
ReplyDeleteAmong the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen.
REFRAIN:
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year.
Our wassail cup is made
Of the rosemary tree,
And so is your beer
Of the best barley.
REFRAIN
We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door;
But we are neighbours' children,
Whom you have seen before.
REFRAIN
Call up the butler of this house,
Put on his golden ring.
Let him bring us up a glass of beer,
And better we shall sing.
Years ago, the visiting English contingent of my relatives went wassailing and caroling in Florida. Someone called the police.
ReplyDelete