Does anyone know what warm wassle is...?!
Answers: I have heard it a drink served on Christmas. But what is it made of? And is it good?
During the Middle Ages, a high alcohol ale, made specially for the holiday season, was brewed by European monks, English villagers and Scandinavian brewsters (women brewers). The English toast at the time was an Anglo-Saxon term, "waes haeil," meaning "be whole" and was replied with "drink haeil" meaning "to your health." Sir Watkin W. Wynne is credited with preparing what is considered to be the first wassail bowl cocktail in Oxford, England in 1732. In some parts of England roving bands of wassailers strolled up and down village streets spreading good cheer by caroling and carrying their wassail bowl decorated with ribbons and garlands. Upon arriving at each house, they offered their wassail to the householders or asked their wealthier neighbors to fill their bowls.
The wassail bowl was a popular concoction of apples, ale or wine, sugar and spices and was served warm to comfort the bodies and liven spirits of the wassailers. By most accounts, this was more a harmless pagan practice, rather than Christian tradition, which the church did not try to stop. After all, it did promote peace and goodwill unto all.
wassail is a traditional ale, a "winter warmer" style of ale, served at Christmas time. According to Beer Advocate magazine, wassail was not traditonally spiced, like many of today's craft brewed winter warmers. Cheers!
It isn't wassle, it's wassail. It's just warmed up red wine with spices in it and no, it's not particularly good.
Wassail is very tasty and it is a traditional Christmas punch.
Colonial Wassail Bowl Makes
12 to 14 (4-oz. ) servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (such as Burgundy)
2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 inches stick cinnamon
1/4 cup brandy (optional)
Lemon slices
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, combine red wine, cranberry juice, sugar, water, lemon juice, and stick cinnamon. Heat just until bubbly around edges; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon with a slotted spoon. Stir in brandy, if desired. Carefully pour punch into a heatproof punch bowl; garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Ladle into heatproof cups. Makes 12 to 14 (4-oz.) servings.
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Holiday Wassail
14 (6-ounce) servings
Ingredients
6 inches stick cinnamon, broken
12 whole cloves
8 cups water
1/2 of a 12-ounce can frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate (3/4 cup)
1/2 of a 12-ounce can frozen raspberry juice blend concentrate (3/4 cup)
1 6-ounce can frozen apple juice concentrate (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup brandy or rum or 6 tea bags (optional)
Orange slices (optional)
Directions
1. For spice bag, cut a double thickness of 100 percent cotton cheesecloth into a 6-inch square. Place cinnamon and cloves in center of cheesecloth square. Bring up corners of cheesecloth and tie with a clean string.
2. In a 3-1/2-, 4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker combine water, cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, raspberry juice blend concentrate, apple juice concentrate, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the spice bag to juice mixture.
3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the spice bag and discard. If desired, about 5 minutes before serving, add brandy or rum or the tea bags to the crockery cooker. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, if using.
4. To serve, ladle beverage into cups. If desired, float an orange slice atop each serving. Makes 14 (6-ounce) servings.
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Tea and Cider Wassail
Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 30 min.
Ingredients
6 cups freshly brewed hot tea
6 cups cranberry juice
6 cups apple cider or apple juice
3 cups orange juice
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups lemon juice
9 inches stick cinnamon, broken
3/4 teaspoon whole cloves
Apple slices (optional)
Directions
1. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, combine tea, cranberry juice, apple cider, orange juice, sugar, and lemon juice. For spice bag, place cinnamon and cloves in the center of a double-thick, 6-inch square of 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie with clean string. Add spice bag to juice mixture.
2. Bring mixture to boiling, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard spice bag.
3. To serve, ladle the wassail into a heatproof punch bowl. If desired, garnish with apple slices. Makes about 22 (8-ounce) servings
4. Slow-Cooker Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove and discard spice bag. Keep warm on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours.
I hadn't heard of it before, either, but today, a co-worker brought in this version, which was VERY good:
2 qts apple juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves (co-worker suggests wrapping cinnamon sticks and cloves in a coffee filter, but her ladle snagged on it and caused it to all free flow and it didn't hurt anything)
Bring to a boil, simmer for 30 min. My co-worker kept this warm in a crockpot.