Wassail is another name for hot, spiced punch that is associated with the holidays. Fruit and spices are added to a liquid base – early versions were made with mead, but these days the drink is made with apple cider or red wine as a base far more often – then everything is steeped together until the hot, spicy drink is ready to serve. It’s like a winter version of sangria.
Rodelle has a Wassail Mulling Spice Blend that offers an easy way to add some spice to your holiday drinks. The powdered spice blend is made with sugar and with spice extracts that include cinnamon, vanilla, clove, orange, nutmeg and malted barley. By using spice extracts to flavor the sugar that makes up the base of the mix, it ensures that you get a lot of flavor without any of the residue that using powdered spices would leave behind. The powder dissolves easily in any hot liquid that you stir it into, leaving you with a delightful mulled holiday beverage!
Even though the base of this mix is sugar, it is not particularly sweet and will impart much more spice than sweetness to your drinks. If you are looking for a sweeter drink, you can add sugar to taste, but it is nice to have the option of a less sweet drink with this. I also really appreciate the fact that you can use the mix to make a variety of portion sizes. Traditional wassails are made to serve a crowd and are typically brewed up in large batches on the stovetop. A punch bowl is great if you are entertaining, but this mix allows you to spice up a single cup of tea, cider or wine to treat yourself on a chilly evening, too.
What do you think?