Wassail is a traditional cozy English drink that features a sweet mix of apple cider, fruit juices, spices, and sugar. This warm, festive treat is often served when caroling, at parties, and whenever you want to have a simple, warm drink in the fall and winter. When you want to sip on a toasty drink with all the flavors of the festive season, you’ll want to reach for a steaming mug of this wassail cider.
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What is wassail?
Wassail is a traditional English mulled drink, which is a drink featuring any type of fruit juice, in this case, apple, that is heated with sugar.
People traditionally drank the wassail drink as part of a Yuletide greeting ceremony or door to door charity giving or to help ensure a good apple harvest for the following year.
It often includes apple cider, fruit juices, and various spices to make the wassail.
Our recipe will tell you how to make wassail in the Instant Pot. It is super easy and a very tasty take on traditional hot apple cider (which we also recommend!).
Ingredients to make Wassail
When you want to make this easy wassail recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Apple Cider - You can use premade cider or make your own following this recipe.
- Orange juice - This adds some sweetness and tang to the drink.
- Cranberry Juice - Like orange juice, it adds some tang and sweetness.
- Lemon - The splash of lemon brings a bit of freshness to the drink.
- Spices - We use a combination of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, juniper seeds, ginger, nutmeg, and star anise to make the wassail.
- Garnish - For garnish, we use fresh orange wheels, cranberries and whole spices, and fresh round apple slices with the core cut out.
How to make Wassail in Instant Pot
To make wassail cider, you’ll need to follow these simple instructions and then enjoy the warming drink:
- First, if you have a stainless steel mesh tea ball infuser, add the whole spices in the infuser. If not then use an apple and pierce the cloves into the apple and then throw the other spices directly into the Instant Pot.
- Next, close the lid, seal the vent, and pressure cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, do a quick release of pressure.
- *Alternatively, you could slow cook for 6 hours on low heat.
- Once the pressure cook cycle is complete, carefully open the lid and remove the mesh ball infuser or the apple with cloves stuck in it.
- Next, turn on the sauté mode and allow the wassail to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, serve the cider warm and garnish with fresh orange slices, whole spices, and cranberries from the wassail cider.
How to store this wassail recipe
To store the wassail cider, first allow the cider to cool to room temperature. Once cool, ladle or pour into an airtight bottle and place in the fridge for upto a week. You could also freeze it in a plastic container for up to 6 months.
Wassail also makes a great gift, so you could easily pack it for gifting and bring it to a get together.
Pro Tips to make the best Wassail
When you want to make the best Instant Pot wassail, you will want to follow these easy tips and tricks:
- You can make wassail in the Instant Pot in a few minutes, in a slow cooker, or on the stove top. Each method involves the same steps, you just need different times for cooking.
- For easy spicing, get an infuser or use an apple as an easy way to place clovers in the cider.
- When you are serving adults, you could spike the wassail with a bit of rum or other alcohol.
FAQs
Wassail uses apple cider to make it. Apple cider is very similar, but it does not typically contain other juices like wassail does. You can check out our Apple Cider recipe here.
Wassail is made from apple cider, various juices (like orange, cranberry, or others), and spices. Some recipes add in additional sugar and even alcohol.
Wassail uses both cider and fruit juices. Cider only uses apples and occasionally splashes of other fruits, like lemon. Both can contain spices, sugar, or alcohol and are usually served hot.
Our recipe does not contain alcohol, so it is family and kid friendly. But if you are serving adults, you can include alcohol if you like. Rum or vodka could go well with it if you are interested in adding some.
Other recipes you’ll love
If you love making homemade, easy recipes, then you should also try making these treats:
- Apple Smoothie
- Apple Crumble
- Apple Butter
- Chocolate Fondue
- Pumpkin Bread
- Hot Apple Cider
- Apple Crisp
- Cinnamon Apples
- Apple Chips
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
Cozy Wassail Cider Recipe
Wassail is a traditional cozy English drink that features a sweet mix of apple cider, fruit juices, spices, and sugar. This warm, festive treat is often served when caroling, at parties, and whenever you want to have a simple, warm drink in the fall and winter. When you want to sip on a toasty drink with all the flavors of the festive season, you’ll want to reach for a steaming mug of this wassail cider.
Ingredients
- Apple Cider 8 cups
- Orange juice 4 cups
- Cranberry Juice 1 ½ cups
- Lemon 1, juiced
- Cinnamon sticks 2
- Whole cloves 10
- Juniper seeds, 1 tbsp
- Ginger 1 inch
- Nutmeg 1 whole
- Star anise 1
Garnish
- Fresh orange wheels
- Cranberries and whole spices like star anise and cinnamon stick from the cider.
- Fresh round apple slices, cored
Instructions
How to make Wassail in Instant Pot
To make wassail cider, you’ll need to follow these simple instructions and then enjoy the warming drink:
- First, if you have a stainless steel mesh tea ball infuser, add the whole spices in the infuser. If not then use an apple and pierce the cloves into the apple and then throw the other spices directly into the Instant Pot.
- Next, close the lid, seal the vent, and pressure cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, do a quick release of pressure.
- *Alternatively, you could slow cook for 6 hours on low heat.
- Once the pressure cook cycle is complete, carefully open the lid and remove the mesh ball infuser or the apple with cloves stuck in it.
- Next, turn on the sauté mode and allow the wassail to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, serve the cider warm and garnish with fresh orange slices, whole spices, and cranberries from the wassail cider.
Notes
Pro Tips to make the best Wassail
When you want to make the best Instant Pot wassail, you will want to follow these easy tips and tricks:
- You can make wassail in the Instant Pot in a few minutes, in a slow cooker, or on the stove top. Each method involves the same steps, you just need different times for cooking.
- For easy spicing, get an infuser or use an apple as an easy way to place clovers in the cider.
- When you are serving adults, you could spike the wassail with a bit of rum or other
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Nutrition Information
Yield 13 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 145Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 10mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 2gSugar 28gProtein 1g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. We are not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on TheBellyRulesTheMind.net should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though we try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of our ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
About Anvita
Hi! I’m Anvita, the founder of The Belly Rules The Mind. I was born and raised in India but now I reside in the United States.
I love to travel and experience different cultures and cuisines. Having lived in different countries across the globe like, India, Australia, Germany and United States has taught to enjoy and appreciate culinary experiences. I believe that food brings people together.
As a self taught cook, I am always trying new recipes and variations to see what tantalizes my family's tastebuds. I am always trying to replicate meals from around the world that we have cherished. Hope you enjoy them too. Read more