In times of yore, a heated, spiced beverage brewed from a concoction of red wine, ale, or tea coupled with oatmeal gruel was typically administered to convalescents as a medicinal remedy.
Wassail is a warm, spiced wine beverage that is reminiscent of mulled wine. This drink was commonly consumed in earlier centuries as a remedy for colds. Some variations of wassail were prepared by infusing water that had been used to soak oatmeal or by utilizing gruel in the recipe.