Homemade Wassail

Today, I put up our Christmas tree, and soon I will add to it the rest of our Christmas decor. I love our tree. Two years ago, my mom decided to give Robert and me a brand new tree to replace the old hand me down tree that I had used since college that had most of the lights broken. Our tree is decorated with almost 70 silver bells. I was given 28 silver bells for every Christmas since I was born, and the rest were given to Robert's parents by his grandmother for every year they were married. To me it represents both our family history and our love of music. It's perfect.

One drink that always embodies Christmas to me is Wassail. It's mentioned in Christmas carols, "Here we go a wassailing", and it simply smells and tastes like Christmas. You'll find that as you make this wassail, your house will smell of citrus, cinnamon, and cloves. Also, this drink is wonderful when recovering from a cold as it is packed with Vitamin C and helps with coughs when you add a shot of whiskey to your mug. I think it's the perfect addition to any Christmas party menu and certainly has a place for parties that include caroling in the cold winter night. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Happy Holiday Season.

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Homemade Wassail


Ingredients
2 quarts bottled apple cider (looks like apple juice but says cider)
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 sticks whole cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon ground if sticks are unavailable)
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 cup brown sugar

Instructions
Combine the apple cider,

orange juice,

 lemon juice,

 pineapple juice,

 cloves,

 cinnamon (I used ground this time as I was out of cinnamon sticks),

 and brown sugar in a large pot.

 Stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks if used. 

Serve hot with a scone or other Christmas treat.