Easy Homemade Wasail – The Stay at Home Chef

There's nothing like a steaming cup of Wassel to warm you up when it's cold outside. It's a holiday tradition with a blend of apple cider, citrus flavors and all those comforting warm spices. It simmers in a pot and will fill your room with your favorite holiday scent.

For more winter drinks, try ours Decadently thick Italian hot chocolate or us Caramelized cinnamon hot chocolate.

This recipe is not only delicious, but also incredibly easy to prepare. With just a few ingredients and low heat, you'll have a hot drink ready to share with family and friends. Bonus: Your house will smell amazing while cooking! Serve it up or with a splash of your favorite spirit for a festive treat everyone will love.

Material notes

• Apple Cider: Go for fresh, unfiltered cider if you can – it tastes best. Regular apple juice works too, but cider has a bolder and tangier apple flavor.
• Orange Juice: Fresh-squeezed is great, but bottled juice is perfectly fine for this recipe.
• Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice brightens everything up. Fresh is great, but bottled works too.
• apple: Any apple will do the trick, but tarts like Granny Smith add a nice sour balance to the sweetness.
• Orange: Thick slices not only add flavor but also look pretty in the container! Navel orange is a great choice.
• Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar depending on how deep a flavor you want. Add more or less as per your taste.
• Cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice: Wasail with this spice, well, Wasail! Whole spices are best, and they're easy to scoop out before serving.
• Optional liquor: Want to give it a little kick? Add a splash of rum, brandy or bourbon when serving!

Apple cider vs apple juice

Apple cider is bold, tangy and has a strong, fresh apple flavor. Apple juice is sweet and smooth, and it is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a cleaner appearance and a sweeter taste.

For the Wasel, apple cider is definitely the way to go if you want a bold, relaxed vibe, but apple juice will work too! You'll just want to tweak the recipe a bit for extra sweetness.

Start by reducing the brown sugar by approx 2 tbspSince apple juice is naturally sweet. You may want to bump up the spices a bit – add an extra Half a teaspoon of cinnamon or a few more cloves. You can taste as you go to make sure it's right for you.

Optional garnish

You can make your Wasel feel extra special and festive with decorations. Try to serve each cup with one Cinnamon stick as a stir stick. You can toss in a few Whole cranberries One for a pop of color or space Thick orange slices on the rim of each glass Inside matches the citrus goodness.

Add alcohol

If you want to give your wasel a grown-up twist, it's easy to add alcohol. Brandy, rum or bourbon All great options. For best results, add alcohol directly to individual cups when serving instead of the entire container. That way, everyone can choose whether or not to spike their wasp. Start with About 1 ounce per cup and adjust to taste.

Wasail served

Straight from the pot: Serve your wassel straight from the pot or Dutch oven you used to make it. You can even place it on a Portable burner If you want to move it from the stove to a buffet or drink station. Keep the heat on the lowest temperature.

Thermal Carafe or Hot Drink Dispenser: They are perfect for keeping wasps warm and make them easy to serve during parties. Just pour the wasel, and your guests can help themselves!

Slow Cooker: Place in slow cooker on hot setting for hours. It's an easy, hands-off way to serve, and your kitchen will smell amazing.