The Key To Perfecting Wassail Punch, The Spiced Cider Upgrade Your Holiday Party Needs

You may not have heard of Wassail, or maybe you've quizzically stared at a version sitting on the shelf at Trader Joe's, but the spiced cider has a robust holiday history. Originating in Britain, the name itself didn't originally refer to a drink, but a phrase, the Old Norse "ves heill," which was a toast that means "be healthy." That evolved to refer to both the Christmas tradition of wassailing, where carolers would go door to door with a bowl of spiked punch and have participants drink from it, exchange gifts, and then make their own additions to flavor the punch. Wassail eventually came to refer to the concoction itself, and given that it has many variations, we decided to ask an expert, Molly Horn, the chief mixologist and spirits educator at Total Wine & More, for her advice on making the best version of this holiday tradition.

Horn told us that Wassail "is one of the Western world's oldest drinking traditions, and, in fact, is the predecessor to many of our (currently) more popular holiday drinking traditions from Hot Toddies to Eggnog." While Wassail is nominally a spiced cider, Horn explained that historically, "One of the most differentiating elements of recorded recipes for Wassail is the inclusion of sherry, which adds oxidated fruit and roasted nut flavors that dramatically change the character of the punch." But that's just the beginning of what makes Wassail special.

Sherry is a big part of Wassail, but it isn't the only thing that makes the drink different from other spiced ciders spiked with alcohol. Molly Horn told us that "spiced cider is traditionally farm-fresh cider mulled with winter spices such as cinnamon and cloves and perhaps spiked with bourbon or brandy." The use of fresh cider makes its spiced variant unique; Horn calls it "a rich, sweeter beverage with notes of kitchen spice and juicy orchard fruit." This is much more in line with what many Americans think of spiced cider and the kind of thing you grab from apple orchards or Starbucks.

As opposed to our conception of spiced cider, Horn explained that "Wassail is more balanced and drier, characterized by slightly bitter albeit sweet notes of hard cider and stewed fruit." Hard cider gives Wassail a much sharper more alcoholic flavor right off the bat, and Horn notes that is accentuated by "the almost savory, offdry flavors a good sherry brings to the mix." While some people associate sherry with sweetness, the classic version of the fortified Spanish wine is much drier, often being herbal or even salty because of a unique aging system using naturally occurring yeast that consumes much of the sugar.

Wassail can include lots of different spices and flavors, but when making it at home, Molly Horn emphasizes, "Choosing the right sherry and the right hard cider are the most important elements to making a delicious Wassail." For most Americans, choosing a sherry might be the more unfamiliar part of the equation, but Horn suggested Olorosso sherry, "which has a nice balance between sweeter stewed fruit notes and dry oxidized nutty notes." This type falls in the middle of the scale in dryness, in contrast to other popular styles of sherry wine you may see labeled, like Fino, which is drier. And while you may want to save money with a cheap sherry since you are making punch, Horn warns against that, telling us, "You want one that you can enjoy on its own as much as in a cocktail."

When it comes to picking out your cider, Horn advised, "Look for something crisp and not too sweet, if you can find a dry English-style one your Wassail will be even more authentic!" Luckily for those of us stateside, there has been an explosion in great craft hard ciders over the last decade, so if you can't find a dry English cider. Start with the right ingredients, and Wassail might start making a comeback as your go-to holiday celebration drink.