Holiday Wassail Punch
Tea, cranberry, apple and orange juices simmer with cinnamon and cloves in the slow cooker for a warm holiday punch that makes the kitchen smell substantially more organized than it is.
What It Is
Tea, cranberry, apple and orange juices simmer with cinnamon and cloves in the slow cooker for a warm holiday punch that makes the kitchen smell substantially more organized than it is.
Origin
Wassail has English roots as a spiced communal drink associated with winter celebrations.
Fun Fact
The word 'wassail' is tied to an old toast meaning roughly 'be in good health.' The punch bowl was networking before networking had name tags.
Ingredients
- 4 cups hot brewed tea
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 4 cups unsweetened apple juice
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 12 whole cloves
Notes
Taste before the final adjustment. A recipe should guide dinner, not bully it. If it needs a little more acid, sweetness, salt or heat, make the change in small steps instead of launching the whole spice rack into orbit.
Substitutions
Use equivalent ingredients where needed for allergies or availability, but keep the main sweet/sour/salty/spicy balance intact. This is cooking, not a hostage negotiation.
Storage
Keep covered and chilled. Fresh-fruit or dairy drinks are best used within 1–2 days; fizzy drinks are happiest served the same day before the bubbles file for retirement.
Freezing
Freeze still fruit bases or concentrates if useful, but add carbonation after thawing. Dairy-heavy drinks are better made fresh.