Waldsby's Winteryew Wassail

A Themed Drink for The Dimension Door Podcast, Episode 22

This drink is inspired by the small town of Waldsby, which the characters of The Dimension Door Podcast enter for the first time in Episode 22. Waldsby is a small town in Irrisen which sits just outside of the Hoarwood. I won't say too much about it (this is a spoiler-free zone!), but one thing I can say is that the people of Waldsby are very dependent upon the resources the Hoarwood has to offer for both their livelihoods and their diet. The primary resource to be found within this Irriseni forest is the winteryew, also known as the witch-tree. They depend on winteryew trees for lumber, and on their edible seeds and bark for food.

One way that the inhabitants of Waldsby can warm up​ is by enjoying a nice, hot cup of Winteryew Wassail.

​Witch-Trees of Irrisen

After 1,400 years of winter, nearly all growing things in Irrisen are long dead or locked in eternal hibernation. The great birches, elms, and oaks of the forests are bare of leaves, and only tall evergreens such as firs, pines, and spruces provide a green break to the endless blues and whites of ice and snow. The coniferous winteryew tree, believed to have been brought to Golarion from some far-off world by Baba Yaga, is absolutely essential to the survival of many species of Irrisen. Winteryews’ cones produce edible seeds year-round, and their bark, which grows back even in Irrisen’s frigid temperatures when stripped from the trunk, provides nutrition for other animals, including humans. Were it not for the winteryew, known colloquially as the “witch-tree,” no wildlife could survive in this wintry land.
 - Mike Shel. (2013). Irrisen, Land of Eternal Winter, p. 3. Paizo Publishing, LLC.

In coming up with this recipe, I focused on flavors that come from bark, roots, and coniferous trees, as these all strike me as the types of ingredients which would be available in Waldsby. I chose the apple-based wassail for, not just because alliteration is fun, but because apples would be one of the fruits which might reasonably be imported into Irrisen without spoiling.

Keep on reading for step-by-step instructions to make Winteryew Wassail, and also a cocktail version of the drink that I imagine might be enjoyed on special occasions or by the more well-to-do in the Hoarwood region.

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​Waldsby's Winteryew Wassail Recipe

Add to pot:

• 2 liters apple cider
• 2 cups orange juice
• 4 teaspoons hibiscus tea
• 7 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 Tablespoon juniper berries
• 1.5 inches fresh ginger (sliced)
• several pieces of licorice root
• 1 orange, sliced in rounds

Bring to a high simmer. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours.
Strain. Serve hot.

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For cocktail:

• Spritz a heat-safe glass with absinthe
• Add 2 ounces Rittenhouse Rye BIB or liquor of choice
• Top with strained hot wassail

Garnish & Serve​!

• For my garnish, I went with a dehydrated orange slice and a whole star anise.