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Rob Miller
Rob Miller owns and operates Goebel Liquor, family owned since 1971, located at the corner of Maple and West Streets. Rob's World of Beers selection, offers over 450 microbrews and imports. Rob has worked hard to make his beer selection the best available, short of taking a drive to Dallas or Denver. When not on the road prospecting new products for the store to introduce to Wichita, you can usually find Rob at a sporting event, or any activity involving one of his five children. You can contact Rob at Goebel Liquor, e-mail: stoutsman@aol.com, or by phone at (316) 943-2911.
Beer, Wine & Spirits
2003-11-01 08:09:00
Here we come a-wassailing
ANSWER: Drinking Wassail is an age-old winter custom at Christmas time, New Years, and the Twelfth Night. Wassail is a greeting, which means "Be in good health!" One custom in Old England is that the host proclaims, "Wassail," to which all reply, "Drink hail!" Then the cup is passed with a kiss to the next person and it continues until all have drank from it. This later became known as "the loving cup" with the introduction of Christianity.   Wassail is associated with caroling too. There are stories of men carrying a large vessel (Some reports say a bowl with twelve handles, some say wooden, and some used pitchers) from house to house. They would sing, get the vessel filled again and go on to the next house. It was a sign of good luck to have the carolers visit.   Traditions such as 'wassailing' may be credited to the calming and humanity-inducing influence of the holidays. A celebration of religion and the year's birthday seem to influence a rekindled interest in festive foods and drink.    It seems only natural to warm a cold winter night with strong ale. Beer historians tell, as holiday ale met the offspring of Yule, a spiced loaf called Yule cake was born. A slice of this was placed in the bottom of the bowl and warm ale floated it up toward the top. The cup would be passed around with much merriment until both the ale and Yule cake were gone. Then it was a simple matter of mixing another and another until all were…(this part of history doesn't need to be told!)   Here's one of the original recipes: Get a large bowl, dump a half-pound of sugar in the bottom, pour in a pint of warm beer, add a sprinkling of nutmeg and ginger (grated), and mix in four glasses of sherry. Finally, top it off by adding five pints of beer. Leave it sitting out for a few hours. Just before serving, float a few thin slices of toast and lemon on top.    Another version of a spirited winter drink in Anglo-Saxon times was called "Lamb's Wool."  You may find this version a bit simpler: Add brown ale to a bowl, spice it with nutmeg and ginger, back it up with a good measure of sugar, and top it off with roasted crabapples that have burst in the roasting process. Toss the crabapples in when the white interiors pop out. When your guests "come a wassailing" serve them the steaming bowl while shouting, "Wassail!"    While all this sounds great, it might be easier just to buy the modern version already brewed and bottled.
 
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