Wassail

I first had Wassail (pronounced WAH-suhl) when I was a young lad of 17, courting the beautiful maiden, now one-score and 4 years my bride.  Apparently it's of English derivation, and my redneck roots had yet to encounter such a drink.  Last Saturday's Wall Street Journal, Off Duty section brought the drink into perspective, and nurtured my newfound appreciation for the English holiday staple.  Their version, detailed in the "What Does Christmas Taste Like" article, uses hard cider (which I have N.E.V.E.R appreciated) so I procured a 6-pack of Woodpecker Hard Cider and followed the recipe.  It tastes like Christmas.  In fact, it tastes like Winter, Christmas, and New Year rolled into one.  Experimental variations with spices and citrus (orange slices are nice) will be rewarded.  You will not be disappointed.



courtesy of wikipedia