Wassail often flies a bit under the radar when people think of warm drinks, as hot toddies or hot buttered rum drinks usually come to mind first. However, you can't forget wassail, especially around winter holidays or celebrations. It's a warming spiced apple-flavored beverage, and the best part is the flavor doesn't rely on any spirit. So if you're in the mood for a morning beverage or a mocktail suitable for cheers, a nonalcoholic wassail will fit the bill perfectly.
Holiday Nonalcoholic Wassail Recipe
Wassail away your Christmas with this hot, spiced, and festive cider punch made with apple cider and apricot nectar.
Ingredients
- 6 cups apple cider
- 2½ cups apricot nectar
- 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 4 allspice berries
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- Cinnamon stick and orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring apple cider to boil. Reduce reheat. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Secure spices in cheesecloth bag, add to cider.
- Mull spices for approximately one hour over low heat.
- Stir in apricot, pineapple, and orange juices.
- Heat to a rolling boil.
- Remove spice bag and serve immediately.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- Carefully ladle wassail mix into mug.
- Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange slice.
Hot English Wassail Recipe
An Old English recipe for all occasions, this mulled wassail recipe consists of apple cider, cranberry juice, and those familiar sweet and savory spices - with all of the flavor and without all the alcohol.
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 whole cloves
- 6 allspice berries
- 2 tablespoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 lemons, juiced
- 10 oranges, juiced
- Cinnamon stick and orange wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to boil and add sugar.
- Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Secure spices in cheesecloth bag, add to the water.
- Mull spices for approximately one hour over low heat.
- Add cider and citrus juices, heat to a rolling boil.
- Remove the spice bag and serve immediately.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- Carefully ladle wassail mix into mug.
- Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange wheel.
Caramel Apple Wassail
This recipe is an individual serving but can be easily recreated for a group, because who doesn't love caramel apple?
Ingredients
- 4 ounces apple cider
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 ounce caramel syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Hot water to top off
- Apple slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice to a simmer over low heat.
- Stir in caramel syrup, mixing well.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In the prepared mug, add apple cider mix, caramel syrup, and top off with hot water.
- Stir carefully to mix.
- Garnish with apple slice.
Cinnamon Wassail
If you want a little extra spice in your wassail, this recipe will deliver.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces apple cider
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ ounce cinnamon syrup, to taste
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Hot water to top off
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice to a simmer over low heat.
- Stir in cinnamon syrup, mixing well.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In the prepared mug, add apple cider mix and top off with hot water.
- Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Vanilla Wassail
This recipe brings vanilla to the forefront but stays true to the spiced apple flavor.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces apple cider
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce vanilla syrup, to taste
- Hot water to top off
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring apple cider and lemon juice to a simmer over low heat.
- Stir in vanilla syrup, mixing well.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In the prepared mug, add apple cider mix and top off with hot water.
- Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Nutty Wassail
This wassail recipe is a bit earthier than others, but its savory flavors make for a unique spin.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces apple cider
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ ounce hazelnut syrup, to taste
- 2 dashes walnut bitters
- Hot water to top off
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring apple cider and orange juice to a simmer over low heat.
- Stir in hazelnut syrup and walnut bitters, mixing well.
- Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
- After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
- In the prepared mug, add apple cider mix and top off with hot water.
- Garnish with orange slice.
Traditional Fruit Garnish
Traditionally, a wassail recipe usually calls for fruit slices to float in the punch. To do so, pierce whole cloves into the rinds of orange slices before adding. Another traditional method is to bake apple slices smothered in brown sugar and cinnamon by drizzling butter over the prepared apples and baking until they are soft and tender then stirring into the wassail.
A Toast to Good Health
Historically, to wassail is to toast to good health, which makes sense when you consider that the word "wassail" means to be of good health. Wassail remains one of the more popular traditional Christmas holiday drinks. So whatever nonalcoholic wassail recipe you choose to make, the mulled cider and spices will be just as inviting without any spirits-- other than the party.
