...and joy be to you with your jolly wassail....

As an American with deep Anglophile tendencies, I've long enthusiastically sung variations of wassail songs, noting regional differences. From Noel Sing We Clear to the Revels Songbook I've explored wassail songs from old England and the new world.

What I haven't had much experience of is what EXACTLY one drinks in a cup of wassail. This comes to mind as I'm sorting out what I'm going to make for a Community sing I'm hosting on Saturday - our third "Wassails & Whatnot" afternoon session to sing all the songs that get minimal coverage among all the carols and mall music Christmas songs (songs of winter, solstice, snow shoveling shanties, turning of the year...).

Last year I made a fairly successful libation, (then messed up not realizing the slow cooker was plugged into a nonfunctional outlet) but it was a deal of bother with baking apples, with quite a bit of lead time.

Those of you in/of England, familiar with recipes, what do you think is essential to a good wassail bowl? The range of alcoholic components in various recipes makes me undecided. I'd like to spend my kitchen time in the morning before prepping goodies for the supper friends will be returning to my house to consume, but I DO have the slow cooker, and am willing to make the effort.

Joanne in Cleveland (who will also be serving tea for those who prefer to avoid alcohol)