The Washington Post introduced a piece on Christmas ales today with a reminder that they harken back to the pre-Puritan days of England, days of steaming bowls of hot spiced ale and shorter life spans:

... originally, the word -- from the Middle English greeting "waes haeil," or "be hearty" -- referred to the strong drink that inspired enthusiastic if tone-deaf renditions of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and "Good King Wenceslas." Wassail was a freestyle punch made with a strong spiced ale (sometimes wine) and flavored with sugar, nutmeg, cloves, apples, oranges, toast; in short, whatever the lord of the manor might have lying about his pantry. During the Christmas season, it was customary to offer a warming drink to bands of carolers. In 1644, the Puritans in England banned the practice (and all other public celebrations of Christmas) on the grounds that it led to wastefulness and debauchery.

Screw you, Cromwell. I have been wanting to heat some beer for the heck of it this Yuletide and think I will make a drink called a Lamb's Wool. My copy of Acton and Duncan's Making Mead tells me a good Lamb's Wool starts with baking apples with honey and nutmeg in the oven, then pouring two quarts of brown over them when done and ladling it over the apples on the stove until it all piping hot after which the apples are eaten with a jug of the hot sweetened spiced ale. Excellent - a beer that is also a good source of dietary fibre.

Now, which beer to wrack with such punishment? I am sure as heck not going to experiment with something expensive but here in Ontario you can pick up a 750 ml of 8% Maudit by Unibrou for about five and a half bucks. It's also a bit dry for a dubbel sThat should do the trick. The apple variety would make a difference as well. I am thinking an earthy Russet or a sharp Northern Spy. I am not thinking Golden Delicious. An apple should taste like something. Like, you know, an apple.

Anyone else planning a mulled ale?