Wassail, or mulled wine, is making a comeback as people seek new ways to celebrate the holidays.
An Anglo-Saxon tradition approximately 1,500 years old, and an early ancestor to eggnog and other end-of-the-year holiday drinks, wassail is also one of the oldest American holiday beverages. The mulled cider or wine beverage is served warm and often used as part of Christmas or New Year’s celebrations.
As an activity, wassailing derives from the tradition of celebrating the end of the year by having fermented drinks with neighbors. Usually coinciding with Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, or the Twelfth Night of Christmas (which, for this holiday season, will be Jan. 5, 2021), wassailing entailed heating a large pot or cauldron with cider, ale, or wine, and mixing in various spices and ingredients such as eggs, honey, or other flavorful additives. At the start of the celebration, the host of the party would greet the gathered crowd with waes hael, which translates to “good health” or “be well.” The traditional reply would be, drink hael, or “drink well.” The phrase waes hael eventually became known as “wassail” in the New World, where today it’s still enjoyed by those who know about the historic drink.
In Virginia, wassail has become a recent conversation topic in wine discussions. Once upon a time finding wassail (also called mulled wine) was difficult, but not any longer, according to Virginia wine authority Nancy Bauer. In her Facebook group Support Virginia Wineries During COVID, Bauer started a group chat about wassail. The results are amazing: Wine lovers shared comments, tips, and notes about more than two dozen Virginia wineries featuring mulled wines.
Here are 10 wineries from the group discussion on Bauer’s wine page. More are being added to the discussion every day, so check back frequently for updates:
Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery
Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery
If you are interested in making your own wassail, click to find a recipe from New Kent Winery.
First-time consumers should know that the appearance of fresh wassail may cause them to pause in sipping. “Lamb’s wool” is a common moniker for wassail due to the fact that the brewed apples create a thick froth laced with strings of apple pulp, which make the beverage resemble a cauldron of boiling wool more than a holiday drink.
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/wassailing.shtml, https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Wassailing/
