Happy New Year...Wassail! Drinkhail!

We went to a pub in Williamsburg last night to start the New Year's Eve festivities. While we were there, one of the entertainers sang a song about wassailing on Christmas Eve. I knew about the tradition drinking wassail during the holidays, but didn't know it could be used as a verb. Evidently, in the ye olden days, wassailers went about on Christmas eve getting looped on wassail then going door to door singing Christmas songs and demanding even more wassail for their efforts. What a great idea!

So today's recommendation (and history lesson) is about Wassail and wassailing.






wassail |ˈwäsəl; -ˌsāl| archaic

noun:
spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve. Lively and noisy festivities involving the drinking of plentiful amounts of alcohol; revelry.

verb:
1 [ intrans. ] drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.
2 go from house to house at Christmas singing carols : here we go a-wassailing.

DERIVATIVES
wassailer |ˈwɑsələr| |ˈwɑˈseɪlər| noun

ORIGIN Middle English wæs hæil [be in (good) health!] : from Old Norse ves heill (compare with hail 2 ).

The drinking formula wassail (and the reply drinkhail [drink good health] ) were probably introduced by Danish-speaking inhabitants of England, and then spread, so that by the 12th cent. the usage was considered by the Normans to be characteristic of Englishmen.

Spiced Ale:
Ingredients:
1 Quart Ale
Nutmeg (to taste)
Ginger (to taste)
Grated Lemon Peel (to taste)
3 eggs
4 oz. Powdered sugar
1 Quart Rum or brandy

1. Heat ale to almost boiling with spices
2. Beat eggs with sugar while ale is heating up. Combine both into a large pitcher.
3. Put Rum or Brandy into another large pitcher & turn from one to another until mixed well. Then pour into a holiday wreathed wassail bowl (or punch bowl). Best served hot!

Mulled Wine Version:
Ingredients:
4 cups apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
1 lemon, sliced
1 tsp. whole allspice
1 tsp. whole cloves
4 cups pineapple or orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups dry red wine


1. Place apple cider, cinnamon sticks, lemon slices, allspice, and clove in large saucepan and heat over
medium high heat for 20 minutes.
2. Add pineapple/orange juice, sugar, and red wine and heat thoroughly.
3. Remove lemon slices, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice before serving.