Let The Wassailing Begin.
Traditionally wassailing the orchard occurs on Twelfth Night Eve, observed according to the “new” calendar of 1752, on January 5th. Celebrants following the “old” calendar will wassail on January 17th.
We at United States of Cider have decided to wassail from now through January 17th. Embracing both the Old and New. Being urban wassailers, we may just salute the old trees at our favorite local cider establishment.
The Churchill’s Jenn Dowds shared this wassail recipe with Rosie Schaap of The New York Times. Read the article, quoted below, for a little wassail history and additional wassail mixology suggestions.
“Therein lies the beauty of wassail: more than just another nice-tasting drink, it’s part of a long (if largely forgotten) tradition of celebrating the life that winter can seem determined to snuff out. It’s a fragrant, warming concoction mixed in bulk and set out for sharing…”
Wassailing We Shall Go !
UnitedStatesofCider 
Bill Bradshaw (@IAMCIDER) recently published his take on a wassail recipe: http://iamcider.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-like-it-hot-n-spicy.html. I can’t say that I’m interested in putting Madeira or ale in my mulled cider like The Churchill suggests!
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Indeed, the New York mixologist are getting very creative with the wassail mixology. Thanks for the link to a well tested and detailed mix with more traditional approach from UK based Bill Bradshaw (@IAMCIDER). Looks lovely.
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