Have you ever heard of “wassail”?

Traditionally wassail is a warm drink composed of fruit (usually apple) and spices and sometimes liquor.

“Wassail” was an Old English salutation which mean “be in good health” or “be fortunate” and was said when presenting a drink to another person.

Our family has made wassail around the holidays as long as I can remember. It would make it’s debut at Thanksgiving and continue throughout the winter months. It is one of the most soothing drinks for a sore throat and always sounded good when we were under the weather.

Now, our wassail recipe doesn’t include apples or liquor. It is different than any that I have ever come across. Over the years I have added my own little adjustments so the recipe we are sharing today is my version of our family wassail recipe.

I have already made this 3 times in the last 3 months because every time I get sick this is the only thing that will soothe my throat, calm my lungs, and get me back to life quickly.

Here’s a little about the ingredients that make this drink so soothing and healing.

• Orange juice- boosts immune health, can decrease inflammation, and provides vitamin C and potassium.
• Pineapple juice- boosts immune health, can decrease inflammation, contains bromelain which can help the respiratory system, and may help break up mucus (this makes it a good cough suppressant).
• Lemon juice- also a good source of vitamin C, aids in digestion, and immune boosting.
• Cinnamon and cloves- antibacterial, antiviral, and anti inflammatory properties.
• Raw honey- cough suppressant, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti inflammatory properties.

Before you jump in and make it, there are a few little tips you need to know that will make your wassail 100% better.

#1- Use 100% juice for ALL the juices. Read the labels. Make sure they aren’t adding anything unnecessary. Or better yet, juice your own fruit!

#2- Let the cloves and cinnamon simmer a MINIMUM of 15 minutes but the best indicator is the color of the water. It should be a dark brown before you add anything else.

#3- Sweeten with raw honey after you have poured your glass. Raw honey should not be exposed to overly high heat as this will kill the wonderful healing properties that we are using it for. Also, this will allow others to sweeten to their liking.

#4- You can switch this up and change to your liking. Some other spices we have used on occasion include ginger, anise, and nutmeg.

We have loved enjoying wassail around the holidays and we are so excited for you to share it with your family and friends this holiday season.