An Elizabethan drink which remained popular until the Victorian Era, Wassail is a hot spiced wine enjoyed at Christmas and New Year celebrations. Its origins are said to date back to the fifth century, though ale would have been more common both then and in Elizabethan England as a base for the drink, given that wine was expensive.
3 litres of red wine or ale
12 small apples (crab apples are preferable but most varieties should work well).
3 tbsp honey
¼ tsp freshly-ground nutmeg
¼ tsp powdered cinnamon
2 tsp freshly-grated ginger
Method:
Bake the apples in a hot oven (Gas mark 5, 190°) until they begin to split. Split the wine between two pots. Place about ¾ in one pot and heat gently until warm. Place the remainder in a second pot, add the apples, honey and spices to this and bring to the boil. Now pour the warmed wine into this and turn off the heat. Keep pouring the heated wine between the two pots until a large amount of froth has accumulated on the top. Strain the mixture into a heated bowl and serve.
