Toast the holidays with a hot toddy, wassail or mulled wine

On a chilly evening, there’s nothing more fortifying than a warm cup of cheer. And, it may come as no surprise that cultures and countries across the globe each have their version of a “mulled” beverage, hot toddy or wassail. To begin, we can look at a tradition shared with us by the British, who earlier adapted an Indian custom of fermenting sap from the flowers of the coconut palm tree.

The word toddy comes from the Hindu word tari, for palm wine. Without access to coconut palms in their native Britain, returning sailors invented their own version which begins with water, spiced and flavored with lemons and liberally laced with alcohol, such as bourbon or whiskey. Referred to as a “hot toddy” because it’s served warm, this has no resemblance to the white, sweet and slightly effervescent Indian toddy.

Another fortified winter drink is fragrant and festive mulled wine, a tradition that has its roots in ancient Rome. Mulling entails flavoring wine by heating it with spices, fruit and sugar. Medieval English cookbook “The Form of Cury” features one of the earliest recipes for a drink of this type, Hippocras, easily recognized as mulled wine. The instructions detail a long list of spices to be mixed with sugar and wine, then steeped overnight.

Glühwein is a similar traditional beverage served at the holiday markets in Germany and the Alsace region of France. Typical spices include cinnamon, star anise and cloves, mixed into sweetened red wine. Comparable to other versions, Nordic countries serve glögg or gløgg for the holidays, adding cardamom, ginger and orange to the mixture.

All across Europe and throughout Eastern Europe, each country has its signature style of mulled wine, adding a range of flavors from peppercorns to honey. Another commonality shared by these recipes is the option of boosting the alcohol content (for greater warmth) with a shot of spirits, such as brandy or rum.

A slight variation on mulled wine is wassail (pronounced WAHS-ayl) from the Norse expression Ves heill for “be in good health.” You may have sung the Christmas song about wassail-ing, which describes the practice of serving cups of wassail from a large bowl carried through the town square as residents gather to greet each other during the holiday season.

Wassail typically begins with a combination of apple cider and hard cider, simmered with spices and slices of orange. Older recipes called for peeled apples in the mixture, but these make the liquid murky and create an unpleasant texture. For the cup of wassail in the photo, we studded slices of clementines with whole cloves for garnish after simmering the wine with spices tied in a cheesecloth bag.

I’ve included recipes for a hot toddy, mulled wine and wassail, which are drinks that can be enjoyed on any chilly evening, not just for the holidays. Watch an elegant presentation on wassail as part of the Lewes Historical Society’s Virtual Holiday House Tour (tickets available at historiclewes.org). And, for some holiday shopping, plan your visit to the Holiday Village and Market on the LHS campus, now rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6.

Wassail

8 C fresh apple cider (not juice)

2 C hard apple cider

1/2 C brandy

4 cinnamon sticks

10 whole cloves

6 allspice berries

2 star anise

1 t coriander seed

clementine slices for garnish

Combine ciders in a large pot and stir in brandy. Collect cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise and coriander into a cheesecloth bag; add this to the pot. Warm over medium heat until slightly steaming, but not boiling. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. To serve, ladle into mugs and garnish with a clementine slice. Note: Since wassail contains hard cider and brandy, warm the drink over low heat to prevent the alcohol from burning off. This can be made in a slow cooker set on low for 2 hours and then transferred to a punch bowl for serving. For a more decorative presentation, stud the clementine slices with cloves. Yield: 12 servings.

Mulled Wine

750-ml bottle of dry red wine

1 thinly sliced orange

10 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

3 T honey

1/4 C brandy

orange slices for garnish

Combine ingredients in a saucepan; stir briefly to combine. Heat over medium just to a simmer; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. To serve, pour into heated mugs through a fine-mesh strainer. Garnish with additional orange slices. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Hot Toddy

2 oz whiskey*

1 T honey

1 T lemon juice

1 C hot water

lemon wedge for garnish

In a warmed mug, whisk together the whiskey, honey, lemon juice and hot water. Garnish with a lemon wedge. *Note: You can substitute brandy, bourbon or rum. Yield: 1 serving.

Send questions, comments and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net.