Wassail Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 c. apple cider
- ½ c. dark brown sugar
- ½ c. dark rum
- ¼ c. brandy
- 1 Tbsp. triple sec
- ¼ tsp. cloves
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. allspice
- 3 slices of a lemon or orange, each cut in half
- 6 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil; add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat; add dark rum, brandy, triple sec, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Stir and serve in mugs. Garnish each mug with a lemon or orange half slice and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
About WA Frost and Company
Location:
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Status:
Open
Dates active:
1975-present
When the Dakotah Building was constructed on the corner of Selby and Western in Saint Paul, it was one of the most fashionable buildings in the city. The Hennessey brothers built the building in 1889 with commercial space on the first floor, and luxury apartments on the upper floors to meet the demand to live in this fashionable part of town.
The apartments met the demands of well-heeled residents with fireplaces, ornate plasterwork, tile floors, electric doorbells, and a system of speaking tubes. The main floor of the building was originally home to a ladies’ bath and manicure establishment and the William A. Frost pharmacy.
In addition to the pharmacy space on the main floor, the pharmacy opened a soda fountain on the lower level. Local lore tells us that F. Scott Fitzgerald often walked to the pharmacy to pick up Cokes and cigarettes while he was in town writing This Side of Paradise.
After William A. Frost’s death in 1930, the pharmacy continued to operate in the space with different owners. The soda fountain closed first, followed by the pharmacy in 1950.
As the neighborhood deteriorated through the 1960s, so did the building. By the 1970s, the building was nearly empty and deeply neglected. In 1974, the building was purchased with the goal of using it as a cornerstone for the revitalization of the neighborhood.
W.A. Frost & Company opened in the pharmacy space a year later. The restaurant kept as much of the building’s original charm as possible, and augmented it with period pieces and small modern upgrades. The original tin ceiling was restored, the exposed brick was cleaned, landscape oil paintings from the pharmacy were hung on the walls, and tables were placed near fireplaces to ramp up the cozy atmosphere. New oriental rugs were brought in and marble cut from an old bank building in Superior, Wisconsin, was used as table tops.
Walking into the restaurant felt like traveling back in time and the restaurant capitalized on a winding layout and plenty of romantic nooks for couples to enjoy a meal together. Eventually, the restaurant expanded to include the old soda fountain. The outdoor patio space, gazebo grill, and banquet rooms have been added.
W.A. Frost & Company is still open for diners looking for a cozy place for a romantic dinner or if you want to step back in time but still enjoy modern, award-winning cuisine.
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