Vanilla Cider Wassail is a fun addition to any party because it's warm, sweet, easy to make, and really pretty. It easily scales up, too!
Vanilla Cider Wassail
"What on earth is wassail?" you may be asking. Let me give you a little history lesson! Old English "wæs hæl" literally means "be you healthy." Wassail (or wassil) is traditionally a hot spiced cider that is sweetened and has other fruit juices added, and it was probably fermented and enjoyed as a hard cider back in the day.
Today, Wassail is generally a nonalcoholic hot beverage. Wassailing (you know, like the song "here we come a-wassailing") refers to a medieval ritual to celebrate the apple trees and to ward off evil spirits for next year's cider making. We can thank our English ancestors for this tasty drink. Wassail, in my personal experience, seems to be a much more Midwesterner thing. I've yet to meet someone in Utah who has ever heard of it, let alone loves it. Don't worry, they are quickly converted! My sister Sarah and I can thank our Hoosier upbringing though for our love of wassail.
Vanilla Cider Wassail
Ingredients
- 2 quarts apple cider (½ gallon)
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup Tate+Lyle® Vanilla Pure Cane Syrup
- 2 to 4 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
- dash of ground cloves
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. When it starts to boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve hot in mugs.
Notes
Store leftovers covered in the fridge and reheat before serving.
This recipe is easily multiplied if you are making cider wassail for a crowd, but it's not so big that you can't make it for your family one night and reheat the leftovers once. My kids even like cider wassail cold! This sweet and lightly spiced drink is sure to become a holiday tradition in your home in no time. We pressed about 50 gallons of cider a few weekends ago (from our own apples!), which means we'll have plenty for wassail making. Yay!
If you are a social media lover, here's where you can find more information about Tate+Lyle®: Email newsletter, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Click here to download a coupon for $1.50 off of Tate+Lyle® Gourmet Beverage Syrups! For a chance to win the $100 Walmart gift card simply leave a comment telling me which flavor you would like to try and what you might put it in! Sweepstakes Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
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And a big thanks to YOU for supporting the companies I thoughtfully choose to support. You are the best!
sarah hirsch
i would love to try the caramel flavor. I would put it in hot cocoa
kathy pease
https://twitter.com/klp1965/status/550424309445849088
kathy pease
I would love to try the caramel in my hot chocolate 🙂
whitneylynn88
I sent a tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/550420036150501376
whitneylynn88
I'd like to try the hazelnut in my coffee!
Terry Cross
I would use the vanilla in my coffee
heather s
carmel in hot chocolate sounds very good
Candie L
I would like to try the vanilla. Thank you
Cynthia C
Tweet https://twitter.com/clc408/status/550412423547469825
Cynthia C
I would like to try a little caramel in hot spiced apple cider. I think it would taste like a caramel apple.
paige chandler
I'd like to try the vanilla syrup on ice cream
Thomas Murphy
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/550400722701787136
Thomas Murphy
I want to try the Hazelnut and I would add it to coffee.
Linda G.
I would like to try the hazelnut flavor in my coffee.
Bruce
Vanilla in hot chocolate
gayle gildehaus
I would like to try the vanilla in an iced coffee.
Melissa Resnick (@channallocks)
the carmel would be great in coco
Suzanne K
I'd add the vanilla syrup to my coffee and to my morning oatmeal.
Debbi Wellenstein
I want to try caramel in my hot cocoa.
Chi Shannon
Tweeted 🙂 - https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/550334198318260224