Wassail

(traditional with ceremony)

Heat a large container of ale or beer, about 3 or 4 pints. Add:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mixed spice (cinnamon sticks and whole cloves are also excellent)
2 or 3 small sweet apples, cut up
1 1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/4 cup orange juice
the juice of 2 lemons
Place over a slow flame; then, before it begins to boil, take off the heat and whip up some cream. Let this float on top of the brew like foam.
Put in a suitably large bowl (the more ornate the better)
Now go out to a tree or trees with a few friends (these don’t have to be apple trees, since all can benefit from a well-intentioned blessing, but it is traditional to wassail fruit-bearing trees) Wet the roots liberally with the brew. Pass the rest around and when everyone is thoroughly warmed up sing a wassailing song, for example:

Here’s to thee, old apple tree
Whence thou may’st bud and whence tho may’st blow
And whence thou may’st bear apples enow.
Hats full, caps full, bushel, bushel sacks full, And my pockets full too!

Lift your glasses to the tree and shout “Huzzah!” as loud as you can.

(Nonalcoholic recipe)

8 cups apple juice or cider
2 cups cranberry juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
whole cloves

Turn the crockpot on high and pour in the apple and cranberry juices. Stir in the sugar and allspace, then add cinnamon sticks. Stud the orange with the cloves… about 25 or 30 cloves should do the trick.. and toss it in. Cover the pot and cook on high for 1 hour. Change the setting to low and allow to simmer for 3 more hours, then serve