This is a modern spin on a classic spiced Christmas beverage. Enjoy this delicious wassail on a chilly winter day or serve it at holiday gatherings.
| Prep Time: | 5 mins |
| Cook Time: | 25 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- ½ gallon apple cider
- ½ gallon cranberry juice
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups pineapple juice
- 1 large orange, thinly sliced
- 24 whole cloves
- ¼ cup clover honey
- ½ cup white sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 12 orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot, combine cider, cranberry juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, orange slices, cloves, honey, sugar, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer; add nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve warm and garnish each cup with mint and an orange slice.
- For a bolder taste, refrigerate the wassail for a couple of days and reheat on the stove.
Reviews
We make this every year for about 20 years now, soo good!! We leave out the lemon juice, use apple juice instead of apple cider, and use a quarter cup sugar instead of a half
good/great/excellent
I cut the recipe in half allowing me to make it twice. The first batch was a bit sour. I adjusted for the second batch by adding a bit of orange juice, used less lemon juice and added a few fresh cranberries. If you use a crockpot be sure to stir it to dissolve the sugar. It was a bit hit with the office staff!
This recipe was fantastic! I did add a shot glass of devils cut bourbon to an 8-10 oz cup. It was the perfect kick and taste i wS looking for!
This was a huge hit for all ages at Christmas! I did add a handful of red hots but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Will definitely make again!
This was easy to make and stayed warm in the crock pot all day (until it was gone anyway). It was a hit and I will definitely make this again next year!
All my guests enjoyed this warm holiday drink. Will make it a tradition
Very good, but I set serving size for 12. Oh my it filled up my lg. oval crockpot. I assumed they were 6oz servings. I had enough for a very lg. Party.
Made this for a Christmas party last year, and it was a great hit! Added some spiced rum and it was even better! Now everyone asks if I’m making it again for the New Year’s party this year!
Made this for a Christmas party and it was gone! All 6 quarts of it!!! I added half a bottle of spiced rum… Yummy good fun!
I spiked it with everclear. It sits In a pan which is on a trivet on top of our wood stove all Christmas day. Refilled as needed. Great drink in the winter.
We love this recipe and will make it again. We cut back on the sugar.
Delicious!
It’s good, but no one in this family really drinks much of this thype of drink.
Delicious flavour – made the kitchen (& the rest of the house) smell amazing! 🙂 only thing I would say is that I found it a little too sweet for me
I’ve been making another wassail recipe for years, and didn’t think it could be improved upon. This is hands down fabulous! Everyone really enjoyed the fresh tartness of this cranberry wassail, saying they preferred it over the other wassail recipe that contained orange juice rather than cranberry. This will be made from now on. Use original cranberry juice cocktail. 12/22/16 – Make this in the large stockpot, as the recipe is too large for the crockpot.
awesome with Rum
too much cranberry. My family thought it needed more spice.
I would prefer a stronger cranberry & orange flavor. Maybe with just cloves and less cinnamon stick.
Made this for the holidays and it did not last long. Yum!
Made this for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved it! I made it in the crock pot and put it on high for about 45 minutes. We will be making this again!