Wassail... Great Christmas Punch!

Great Christmas drink for a crowd!
The origins of this drink are traced to the middle ages...
(albeit, the original never used rum, as rum wasn't known in Europe at that time)...

Ingredients
• 1/2 gallon apple cider
• 1 pint cranberry juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. whole allspice cloves (1/2 tsp. ground will work in a pinch as whole allspice can be hard to find)
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• one Lemon studded with cloves
• Orange slices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cup rum (or MORE! I just keep adding a little at a time til it tastes right)
• one thin pat of butter per serving

Directions
1. Combine all ingedients (except rum) in large pot.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few hours.
3. Add the alcohol just before serving so it keeps it's potency. Serve in a crockpot on warm setting...
4. serve in cups, and top with a thin slice of butter to melt and "float" on top

Makes: 3 quarts

I saw this on Food Network the other day. They used the hard stuff!! It looked good. But, did you know it's a 'communal' drink? It's to be put in a large container and everyone has to take a slug from it. Hmmm......me thinks the hygiene fairy was on vacation!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />
You've got to check it out....quite the story!

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Curious to me, the butter on the top?????

I learned about Wassail in senior year of HS when a pair of Beautiful Norwegian twins moved into town and were in our school...
They were right off the boat...
A bunch of us were invited over one night just before Christmas and their parents had a big punch bowl of it on the table!
Strong stuff the way they made it!
Yes, I was 18 at the time... and legal...

Carol,
Butter on the top of some hot winter drinks makes them!
Just float it on top so you get a little in each sip...
Nothing better than hot buttered rum!

OK, never had it that way.