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Traditional Waissal (Waissal)

Waissal (wassail) is an old English hot punch of ale or cider, spices, and roasted apples, served at Yuletide and Twelfth Night with the toast “Waes hael” (“be in good health”).
Course Drinks
Cuisine English
Prep Time 1 hour
Servings 812 Servings

Equipment

  • Baking tray
  • Large heavy saucepan or pot
  • Heatproof serving bowl or punch bowl
  • Ladle

Ingredients

  • 3 cups ale or mild beer not too bitter; English‑style ale works well
  • 3 cups hard apple cider or more ale if preferred
  • 1/2 cup honey or dark brown sugar to taste
  • 4-6 small apples or crab apples, if available
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or to taste
  • 2 slices fresh ginger OR a small piece preserved ginger chopped
  • 1-2 medium cinnamon sticks optional but common in later wassails
  • 1/2 cup sherry or other fortified wine optional, traditional 18th–19th c.
  • 2 Slices or cubes of toasted bread “sops” or plain cake, for serving

Instructions

Roast the Apples

  • Heat oven to 180–190°C / 350–375°F.
  • With a small knife, score a shallow band around the middle of each apple to help prevent the skins from bursting.
  • Place apples on a baking tray and roast 25–35 minutes, until skins split and the flesh is soft and starting to collapse.
  • Remove from oven and set aside.

Make the wassail base

  • In a large pot, combine the ale, cider, honey or sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon stick(s) if using.
  • Warm gently over medium‑low heat until the mixture is steaming and just below a simmer. Do not boil hard, which can drive off alcohol and make the ale taste harsh.
  • Taste and adjust sweetness or spice as desired.
  • Add apples and sherry
  • Carefully transfer the roasted apples into the hot liquid.
  • For a more traditional “lambswool” effect, lightly mash one or two of the apples into the drink so it becomes cloudy and frothy.
  • Stir in the sherry or other fortified wine, if using.
  • Keep on very low heat for 10–15 minutes to let the flavors blend, without boiling.

Serve

  • Toast slices or cubes of bread (or small pieces of plain cake) to use as “sops.”
  • Ladle the hot waissal into a large heatproof bowl.
  • Float the toasted bread or cake on top.
  • Serve in mugs or heatproof cups, making a toast of “Waes hael!” (“be in good health!”).

Non-Alcoholic Variation

  • Replace ale, cider, and sherry with 1 litre apple juice plus 500 ml additional apple or orange juice.
  • Add 1 sliced orange, 1 sliced apple, cinnamon stick, a few cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and 2–4 tablespoons brown sugar.
  • Simmer gently for 20–30 minutes and serve hot, with or without toasted bread on top.
  • Leftover waissal keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently; do not boil.

Notes