Twelfth-night Wassail

Wassail is a very old beverage originally tied to the blessing of the new year’s apple harvest. Here, we’ve reduced the drink to just a few ingredients, but capturing the spirit of the thing quite well, I think.

INGREDIENTS

½ of a baked apple
2 oz. roasted orange cordial
4 oz. ale*
2 oz. oloroso or amontillado sherry
Grated cinnamon, for garnish

*gluten-free version: use dry hard cider (or GF beer)

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ABV LEVEL

Fill tea cup or mug (in which you’ll serve the drink) with hot water, set aside. In a small saucepan, muddle apple with cordial. Add sherry and ale or cider until hot. Don’t let it boil. Pour hot mixture into a heatproof pitcher or measuring cup. Muddle again briefly and stir. Dump out warming water from tea cup. Carefully strain mixture through a fine strainer into the tea cup. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.