The aroma of apples, dark fruit, citrus, cinnamon and other spices waft through the kitchen. This might be the perfect antidote for the cold grip of winter that has hit the country ahead of the holidays.

Time for a cup of mulled beer. That’s right — not wine, but beer.

Brewer Rob Creighton sticks with his favourite holiday concoction “wassail.” It’s a south English recipe that was created for Winter Solstice to encourage a good crop of apples in the New Year. It is hot, spiced and sweet, and made with various types of alcohol — wine, fruit juice or ale, along with brandy, sherry or port.

It’s a tradition that Creighton grew up with as an army brat in Vancouver, Winnipeg, and in the Ontario cities of Barrie and London, when he started drinking it from about the age of 12.

He’s 51 now, and clearly times have changed.

“Grandma in Vancouver had a mulled drink guaranteed, and that was the last time I remember candles on a Christmas tree, too,” Creighton recalls.

Working with beer since age 17 at Labatt in London, the brewmaster continues the tradition of beer for December events with his current labour of love, Grand River Brewing in Cambridge, Ont.

“It’s winter solstice, a time of extreme darkness. The appropriate thing to do is use a strong ale with with either port or brandy, which was the pricier side of it. And the weather has actually been atrocious. It’s great to have a wassail or for winter warmers.”

Here’s how he makes the 20th-century version of the drink (with 8% alcohol by volume, he estimates):

- Take 10 pints of strong beer (Creighton is using his Jublilation Winter Warmer, a doppelbock lager with 7.1% alcohol; substitute it for a hardy sipping ale with 7-8%, but not a porter or stout).

- In a deep baking tray, place four apples, ¼ cup of ale, three cups of brandy mixed, three cups of brown sugar and eight cloves.

- Bake the apples at 350F for 30 minutes in your oven. The apple peels will crack.

- While they’re baking, pour the 9.75 pints left of your winter warmer beer into a big pot. Place the pot on the stove at a low temperature.

- Add the zest from one lemon and 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.

Optional: a dash of cardamom … “But boy it’s a beast of a spice if it’s overused,” warns Creighton.

“Once the apples are baked, I put the whole concoction into the pot. Stir it up, and add 3-4 cinnamon sticks for presentation. It’s very Christmasy smelling.”

In Creighton’s tradition, passed down from when the Vikings invaded Great Britain, the host then toasts the guests: “Wassail” (to your health). In kind, the guests respond, “drink hail” (drinking to your health).

“It is kind of a murky drink,” Creighton says. “There’s no doubt, but the drink is spectacular. It sets the tone. It’s got a real intense aroma to it, and it’s fabulous.”

— Aonghus Kealy is Sun Media’s national beer columnist. E-mail him at aonghus.kealy@sunmedia.ca or follow him on Twitter @mysuds.