beverages-msg - 3/4/08
Period beverages in general. Alcoholic drinks.
NOTE: See these other files: beverages-NA-msg, brewing-msg, beer-msg, mead-msg, wine-msg, cordials-msg, cider-msg, p-bottles-msg, perry-msg, bev-distilled-msg, jalabs-msg, caudls-posets-msg.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: CONS.ELF at AIDA.CSD.UU.SE ("]ke Eldberg")
Date: 10 Jan 90 03:27:05 GMT
Greetings from William de Corbie!
I want to introduce you, dear gentles, to glogg. Everyone should have lots
of glogg. Glogg is a blessing unto mankind. Once you have had a true glogg,
you will understand.
What is glogg?
Glogg is the best drink in the world. Glogg is essential to anyone living
in Sweden or some other place where winters are cold. Coming in from the
freezing white world of snow and wind, breathing white fog, with ice in
your beard, there is nothing like a big cup of really hot, strong glogg.
Actually, glogg is spelled with two dots above the o, and the o is pro-
nounced like the vowel in "birth", or the French "eu".
Some ignorant people think that glogg is just "mulled wine", or similar to
the German "gluhwein". That is like comparing crystal to clay. Most Swedes
buy their glogg from the state-owned monopoly alcohol company. Theirs is
quite good, but for the real glogg lovers it is not quite lethal enough.
It only holds about 18 percent (per weight).
There are many different recipes, of which I will only give you one. But
it is among the best:
Mix 10 g whole cardamoms,10 g whole cloves, 25 g whole cinnamon sticks
with 1 litre vodka.
Leave standing for 3-4 days.
Strain the vodka. Mix with:
1 bottle cheap red wine, 1/2 bottle non-vintage port
Add syrup sugar made from 250 g castor sugar and a cup of water.
Add 10 cl brandy and the juice of 1/2 lemon.
(Some people prefer to use brandy instead of the vodka. In olden tymes,
the spices were put in the wine, which was heated. Then, lumps of hard
sugar were placed on a grille above the pot and burning brandy or vodka
was poured over them to add sweetness and strength. I doubt that this
procedure improves anything.)
Serving: Have your servants prepare the glogg while you take a long walk
through the snow, in temperatures well below freezing (-20 centigrade is
about right). Make sure you are really cold and that you long intensely
for warmth and comfort.
Meanwhile, the servants should heat the glogg until it is real hot but
not boiling. Then pour it in small glasses or cups containing a few
almonds and raisins, and provide a teaspoon for eating the almonds &
raisins. There should also be Swedish pepparkakor (ginger bisquits) to
nibble on.
Have the servants give you the glogg at the gate of your castle. Your
fingers should be so numb that you can hardly hold the cup - then it will
really be great. Drink one cup there, proceed inside and have a second cup
as soon as you have taken your winter garments off. Sit down in front of a
roaring fire and have another 2-3 cups. If you don't have a fire, a hot
sauna will do.
Enjoy!
William de Corbie
From: karplus at turtle.ucsc.edu (Kevin Karplus)
Date: 11 Jan 90 18:25:37 GMT
The recipe given by William de Corbie for Glogg looks a little strange to me.
All the recipes I have see are based on aquavit, not vodka or brandy.
The caraway flavor is (to my mind) an important addition.
Don't use too cheap a red wine--use a decent jug wine. If you wouldn't drink
the wine by itself, use it for vinegar, not mulled wine or gloegg.
There is a good recipe (for "Profesorn's gloeg") in the old Time-Life
Scandanavian cookbook.
By the way, is there any evidence that gloegg is a period drink? I know that
people were capable of distilling alcohol, but is this particular hot punch
that old? It looks a lot like a 18th or 19th century invention to me.
Knud Kaukinen (AoA, Maunche) Kevin Karplus
inactive in the West teaching at UC Santa Cruz
From: ddfr at tank.uchicago.edu (david director friedman)
Date: 17 Feb 90 03:00:21 GMT
Organization: University of Chicago
Some time ago, someone posted a query as to what drinks would be
period to serve at a feast. Responses included fruit drinks and
herbal teas. To the best of my knowledge, there is no evidence
for either.
Fermented fruit juices, such as cider and perry, were drunk in
period, but I have not yet come across any references to
drinking unfermented fruit juice. There are Islamic drinks that
use fruit juice as an ingredient, such as the Pomegranate drink
we serve at our bardic circle at Pennsic, but all the ones I
know of are made by mixing fruit juice with sugar or honey,
boiling it down to a syrup, then diluting that in hot or cold
water. The result is nothing at all like a glass of orange juice
or apple juice.
So far as "herb teas,"I again know of no evidence that they were
used as drinks in period, although I believe they were used
medicinally. Note, incidentally, that they would not have been
called "teas," since that term originally applied specifically
to tea, which comes into use in western europe after 1600.
I am making this posting for two reasons. First, some who read
the responses may have taken it for granted that they were
right. Second, if someone does have evidence that either
unfermented fruit juices or "herb teas" were used as drinks in
period, I would be very interested to see it.
To get back to the original query, some possible drinks are:
The Islamic drinks, of which the best known in the society is
Sekanjabin. There are a bunch of them in a 13th c. Andalusian
cookbook.
Barley water. I think I have seen references to this, but have
never made it; does anyone have information?
Beer, ale, etc. There are some 16th century English recipes.
Hops come into use in England in late period (earlier on the
continent), so if you wanted something pre-fourteenth century
English it would be unhopped.
Wine. In classical antiquity, and I think also in period, they
sometimes drank watered wine. I am not sure what proportions
would have been used. If you dilute wine in ten times its volume
of water, the result is an inexpensive colored drink with some
taste to it, but I have no idea whether that is a period mix.
Mead.
Cariadoc (David Friedman)
Grey Gargoyles, MK
From: laura at ux1.lbl.gov (Laura Mcvay)
Date: 30 Jan 91 01:42:34 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley
This was published in the West Kingdom Brewers Guild Newsletter.
Here is the recipie for the Weak Honey Drink:
Materials-
11 pts water
16 oz white uncooked honey
1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger
0.5 teaspoon dried orange rind
0.5 teaspoons ale yeast (Whitbread's)
0.5 teaspoons yeast nutrient
Procedure-
(1) Clean up and disinfect. (Remember, this is a fermented drink, and
we don't want any wild yeasts)
(2) Heat the water and stir in the honey gradually. Digbie
uses tTa at term "laving".
(3) Gently boil the honey/water mixture for about 2-3 hours. A white
crust will form at the top of the solution; skim this off periodically.
(4) When no more crust forms at the top of the pot, add the ginger.
Let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes.
(5) Add the orange rind and boil for 5 minutes.
(6) Take the wort off the fire and allow to cool.
(7) When the wort has cooled, add the ale yeast and nutrient. Fit
a fermentation lock to a 1 gallon jar.
(8) Let the mixture ferment for about 48 hours. A foam should
form at the top of the wort, that's ok because the yeast is top
fermenting.
(9) Rack into "champagne" bottles. Make sure that you use champagne
bottles, because this mixture is still fermenting, and there have
been cases of exploding bottles- and that can be lethal.
(10) Age for three days and drink. You DEFINETELY want to put this
into the refrigerator after a few days to slow down the fermentation
and reduce the chance of broken bottles. This drink will keep for
about a month.
This recipie is adapted from Sir Kenelm Digbie's book
"The Closet Opened" (p. 107 in my edition)
which was published by his son in about 1660.
This book contains many recipies for meads and wines, and is
considered to be a period reference.
In my adaptation, I have taken
some of the suggestions that His Grace, Duke Cariadoc of the Bow
made in his book, "A Miscellany,"
(specifically, the use of more water).
Good Luck.
Laura Rydal of Grasmere
From: dave at metapro.DIALix.oz.au (David Eddy)
Date: 11 Mar 91 02:47:59 GMT
Organization: MetaPro Systems, Perth, Western Australia
Olafr Thordarson --- Herald _--_|\
Squire to Sir Bran of Lochiel / \
---> \_.--._/
Shire of Arx Draconis - Principality of Lochac - West Kingdom v
-----
Unto the folk of the Rialto, Greetings:
Recently a missive appeared noting that there seemed to be few non-
alcoholic beverages available from the mediaeval period. I would
humbly submit a possible explanation for this state of affairs, with
the following disclaimer: I have not researched this. What follows
is based on hearsay, and is put forward for discussion. It is also
intended to describe _European_ conditions, which were rather
different to (say) Arabic or Japanese conditions of the time.
The choice of basic beverages available to the person of that time was
rather limited: Water, milk, ale, (for the wealthy) mead, or (in
warmer climes) wine. Due to sanitation problems, water whether from
wells or streams, was often of questionable quality (think of the
Ganges River in India). Milk was only available for a part of the
year because cows and other milk animals were underfed, and usually
encouraged to be scavengers (this applies mainly to cities and towns).
Mead was scarce because, until the beehive was invented, pretty well
the only place that bees had to make hive was in a hollow tree. To
harvest honey, the gatherer would usually break open the tree,
destroying any chance for the bees to re-make the hive once the
gatherer had removed the honey-bearing old one. This had the effect
of limiting the amount of honey produced due to continuous destruction
of the bees' habitats.
Wine was relatively scarce in northern Europe because it had to be
imported (and thus was relatively expensive), although it was very
common in Italy and similar places.
This leaves beer or ale. Apparently the typical peasant drank what
would today be considered truly _horrendous_ amounts of beer, even
though said beer was weak (and of course flat). Much attention would
be given to finding new things to drink.
I don't know whether fruit juices were used in period, as opposed to
actually consuming the fruit itself (and thus gaining nutrition as
well as liquid). How many oranges/apples does it take to make a glass
of juice? I suspect that such wastage would have restricted its use,
if any, to the relatively wealthy.
Any comments on the above, dear Fisherfolk?
By my hand on this Eleventh day of May,
Olafr Thordarson.
================= David Eddy (dave at metapro.DIALix.oz.au) ======== _--_|\ ===
MetaPro Systems Pty Ltd.|Tel: +61 9 362 9355 / \
328 Albany Hwy, Vic Park|Fax: +61 9 472 3337 \_.--._/
Western Australia 6100 |This .sig still under construction v
From: haslock at rust.zso.dec.com (Nigel Haslock)
Date: 11 Mar 91 23:51:15 GMT
Organization: DECwest, Digital Equipment Corp., Bellevue WA
In article <1991Mar11.024759.13349 at metapro.DIALix.oz.au>, dave at metapro.DIALix.oz.au (David Eddy) writes:
>
> Wine was relatively scarce in northern Europe because it had to be
> imported (and thus was relatively expensive), although it was very
> common in Italy and similar places.
My source for this is 'A Baronial Household in the Thirteenth Century".
On the other hand, I do not have it open in front of me so I may have
misremembered some of the details.
The author claims that in the mid 1200's, England was importing some
3 million gallons of wine a year. The household accounts suggest that
most of the household was rationed to a quart of wine a day. This does
not equate to scarce in my mind.
>
> This leaves beer or ale. Apparently the typical peasant drank what
> would today be considered truly _horrendous_ amounts of beer, even
> though said beer was weak (and of course flat). Much attention would
> be given to finding new things to drink.
I beg leave to differ on this point too. The assizes set the price of bread
at approximately a farthing a pound (a farthing being a quarter of a penny).
The assizes set the price of beer at somewhere between 2 and 3 farthings a
gallon. Given that skilled labourers earned about 8 farthings a day, I don't
see much scope for peasants swilling prodigious amounts of ale. If ale is the
only potable liquid, volumes are going to be higher than are common today.
For the sake of argument, add up your total liquids intake for a day. Then
add 50% to compensated for the diuretic quality of alcohol. Then ask yourself
if this is a horrendous amount.
I also doubt that the average peasant was interested in finding new things
to drink. I suggest that they followed the modern pastime of arguing about
who makes the best beer. The nobility were clearly engaged in wine snobbery,
although by some other name.
I am not sure why you believe that medieval beer was both weak and flat.
They had barrel making down to a fine art and draught beer will happily
condition in the barrel. The strength of a batch of beer usually depends on the
time it is left to ferment. Strong beers just take a few more days to brew,
provided that the brewer managed to get enough sugar from the malt.
Brewing from grain takes a little care in boiling the wort and some effort
during the sparging, but it is not difficult.
The biggest difference between then and now is the use of hops.
> I don't know whether fruit juices were used in period, as opposed to
> actually consuming the fruit itself (and thus gaining nutrition as
> well as liquid). How many oranges/apples does it take to make a glass
> of juice? I suspect that such wastage would have restricted its use,
> if any, to the relatively wealthy.
The author of the book I mentioned could not find any reference to mead in the
century she was treating. She found one reference to cider, which we assume
to mean the fermented variety.
The other omission was small beer. Since she was working from a set of
household accounts and only things that cost money were recorded, the
production of small beer could have occured without comment (the accounts
do mention the hire of a brew mistress).
Small beer is produced by the same process that is used for beer. The
difference is that the grain used is the grain that has already been used to
make beer. Thus most of the sugars have already been extracted. The low
sugar content means that a low alcohol content beer is produced, about 1% by
volume. I assume that this was just enough the disinfect the water.
> Olafr Thordarson.
Fiacha of Glencar,
Brewer, Weaver, Lacemaker, Carpenter, Smith, ...
Aquaterra, AnTir
From: haslock at rust.zso.dec.com (Nigel Haslock)
Date: 10 Aug 91 02:06:25 GMT
Organization: DECwest, Digital Equipment Corp., Bellevue WA
Aqua Compositor
--------------
This recipe is from Sir Hugh Plat's "delights for Ladies" (1609) but is
essentially the same as the recipe in Thomas Cogan's "The Haven of Health"
(1584).
Take a gallon of Gascoin wine; of Ginger, Galingale, Cinnamon, Nutmegs and
Graines, Anniseeds, Fennel seeds and Carroway seeds, of aeach a dram; of
Sage, Mints, red Roses, Thyme, Pellitory, Rosemary, Wild Thyme, Camomil,
Lavender, of each a handful; bray the spices small, and bruise the herbs,
letting them macerate 12 hours, stiring it now and again, then distil by
a Limbecke of pewter, keeping the first clear water that cometh, by itself,
and so likewise the second. You shall draw about a pint of the bettor sort,
from every gallon of wine.
This modern recipe was developed by Baroness Tamar the Gypsy, Baroness
Carillon in 1983.
Take a pint of cheap, unflavoured brandy.
Add one and a half teaspoons of each of the following
cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, aniseed, caraway seed, fennel seed,
sage, thyme, and ground galingale.
Add a small handful of each of the following
mint, wild thyme, rosemary, lavender, red rose petals, chamomile, and
pelitory of the wall.
Let it soak either overnight or for 24 hours, stirring occaisionally.
Strain out the herbs through a cheese cloth and bottle the liquid.
The distilling step was omitted both because the feds consider is to be an
illegal activity and also to avoid any possibility of lead poisoning. In
period gascony also shipped cheap brandy to England, thus the choice of cheap
brandy as a base. The presence of additional flavorings in this cordial
seemed silly (it's a medicine and its supposed to taste nasty :-) ).
Food grade lavender can sometimes be found in health food stores.
Galingale can sometimes be found in occult book and supply stores. It is
also to be found in indonesian food stores. The FDA approves of galingale for
"flavoring alcohol"
Mother of Thyme can replace Wild Thyme and is a somewhat common ground cover.
Pellitory of the Wall was omitted from the early batches because of its lack
of availability, but Culpepper House (London and Bath, England) stocks it
and will sell by mail. [But I do not have either the full address or a phone
number]
By a process of experimentation, Tamar determined that the proper dose of this
cordial is 2 to 4 drops taken in a glass of water. Larger doses are an
embarrasingly fast cure for constipation. The standard dose cures upset
stomachs and most of the symptoms of a hangover. At least one of the guinea
pigs showed an amazing tendency to giggles after being dosed.
Tradition has it that the herbs are specifics for various ailments as given
here. I hesitate to guess what synergies are at work.
Anise - nausea, colic, dyspepsia, flatulence,
respitory illness
Caraway - colic, digestion, flatulence, menstrual problems,
venomous bites
Cardamom - stomach aches, flatulence, breath freshener, epilepsy
Chamomile - digestion, insomnia, menstrual troubles
Cinnamon - weak digestion, nausea, diarrhea, dysentry,
bed wetting
Fennel - dyspepsia, flatulence, water retention
Galingale - {look it up yourselves, but try to separate occult
symbolism from herbalist theories} - my ladies notes
do not include the traditional
uses of this herb but suggest tonic and cold remedy
Ginger - dyspepsia, sub acid gastritis, menstual troubles,
memory stimulant, tonic
Lavender - Nerve tonic
Mint - stomach, digestion, nausea, vomiting, liver, bladder
problems, headache, toothache
Nutmeg - common cold
Pellitory of the Wall - lungs, kidneys, bladder trouble
Red Rose Petals - laxative
Rosemary - colds, colic, nervous headaches, heart tonic, memory
stimulant
Sage - nerves, rheumatism, improved sexual function while
reducing excessive desire
Thyme - throat irritation, lung troubles, stomach cramps,
toothache
Wild Thyme - prevents hiccups and flatulence
Feel free to reproduce this but include credits for Baroness Tamar, although
you can blame me for any mistakes in the transcription.
Fiacha
Aquaterra, AnTir
From: dcb at cci632.cci.com (Douglas Brainard)
Date: 21 Oct 91 13:54:38 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
Good day to all upon the Rialto, from Corwin of Darkwater, Guildmaster of
the Brewers Guild of AEthelmearc. Duncan of Black Diamond asks about
methods of brewing period beer. Here are a few that I use:
Compleat Anachronist Handbook of Brewing
#5 of the Compleat Anachronist.
Society for Creative Anachronism, Milpitas, CA, 1983
The standard SCA brewing reference. Covers a broad range of topics.
Sir Kenelme Digby
The closet of the eminently learned Sir Kenelme Digbie kt. opened: whereby is
discovered several ways for making of metheglin, sider, cherry-wine, &c.
London: 1669
Digby has perhaps the largest collection of early ale and beer recipes I am
aware of. Required reading for all serious historical brewers.
Hugh Plat
The Jewel House of Art and Nature
1653
Plat has a few recipes and some novel tips and techniques.
Andre' L. Simon
How to Make Wines and Cordials - From Old English Recipe Books
New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1972
Includes chapters on mead and ale/beer recipes. Most are out of period,
but a few are early enough to be of some use.
H. S. Corran
A History of Brewing
London: David & Charles, 1975
Excellent historical reference.
H. A. Monckton
A History of English Ale and Beer
London: The Bodley Head, 1966
Another very good historical reference.
SCUM
The newsletter of the Brewers Guild of AEthelmearc
I think this is an excellent publication, but I admit I'm biased 8-)
Available from the Guildmaster (me) for $4 / 4 issues.
c/o Douglas Brainard
45 Southwind Way
Rochester, NY 14624
I would also suggest that you pick up one or two how-to books on brewing.
Then make a few batches based on those books. Learn some of the nuances of
the craft, and you will be much better off in your interpretation of some
of the "period recipes" that survive. For example, take the quote in my
.sig and make five gallons. I passed a few bottles around at Pennsic XX
that were based on that quote. Most people liked it (most people like
free beer, period, whether or not it's period :-) )
----;----------------------------------------------------------------------
/| Lord Corwin of Darkwater The monks of St Paul's Cathedral
( { Scribe for Brewers brewed 67,814 gallons of ale
} \ Brewer for Scribes using 175 quarters of barley,
/ \ Thescorre, AEthelmearc, East 175 quarters of wheat, and 708
{ } Douglas Brainard, Rochester, NY quarters of oats.
\___/ dcb at ccird7.cci.com - Domesday Book, 1086
From: winifred at trillium.soe.umich.EDU (Lee Katman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: tea wine
Date: 9 Apr 1993 15:27:45 -0400
Organization: The Internet
Here's a way to make intoxicating tea (no, probably not period)
recipe for one gallon, increase proportionately
You need enough tea to make a gallon or more, any strength you like
3-4 pounds sugar
4 lemons
1 pound raisins
package wine yeast
dissolve sugar in tea (corn sugar, probably)
pare lemons thinly, put zest and juice into tea
cut up raisins and add them too
boil, simmer for 3 minutes
put mixture into glass jar, when room temp put in yeast
cover, ferment for 3 days and strain, then
put back to ferment some more. after all
fermentation is over, let stand 2 weeks before bottling
the clear part (siphon off sediment). Don't drink for
at least a year.
Winifred
(ps make sure to cover loosely, or you've just made a bomb)
From: ciaran at aldhfn.akron.oh.us (Skip Watson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: tea wine
Date: 9 Apr 93 21:51:33 EST
Organization: Auldhaefen Associates
winifred at trillium.soe.umich.EDU (Lee Katman) writes:
> Here's a way to make intoxicating tea (no, probably not period)
No, but it's so good, who cares ;-).
> recipe for one gallon, increase proportionately
>
> You need enough tea to make a gallon or more, any strength you like
> 3-4 pounds sugar
> 4 lemons
> 1 pound raisins
> package wine yeast
>
> dissolve sugar in tea (corn sugar, probably)
You can use regular cane sugar. It works very well.
[...]
> the clear part (siphon off sediment). Don't drink for
> at least a year.
At the very least. It is quite good after one year of aging but is
even better if left for two.
Don't ever make coffee wine!
Skip Watson
---
Internet: ciaran at aldhfn.akron.oh.us UUCP: ciaran at aldhfn.UUCP
Auldhaefen Associates Email: auldhaefen at aldhfn.akron.oh.us
From: ciaran at aldhfn.akron.oh.us (Skip Watson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Distillates; Undesired Aw
Date: 4 Jul 93 15:53:21 EST
Organization: Auldhaefen Associates
ck290 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Chandra L. Morgan-Henley) writes:
> I'm not a lawyer either, but as I recall it is legal for
> United Statesians to brew, ferment, AND distill alcoholic
> beverage for HOME USE. The way I heard it, it's only illegal
> if you are selling it (or perhaps even giving it away in exchange
> for gifts/favors).
No. Afraid not. It is legal to make up to 200 gallons of wine and
200 gallons of beer (assuming a 2+ adult person household). A single
adult household may make up to half of that (100 gallons of each). This is
a Fedral regulation. Your state may have stricter laws than this. They
won't have more lenient ones.
It is illegal to distill any kind of alcohol for any reason unless
you have a license to do so. Even distilling alcohol for experimental
purposes such as gasohol requires a license and close federal "observation"
and reports. Unfortunately there are quite a few SCAdians telling everyone
that it is legal to do so :-(. This doesn't even begin to touch on the
various state and local laws that there might be.
As to selling alcohol or bartering it (selling it as far the
government is concerned) is also illegal without the proper federal,
state, and local licenses and permits. (Bartering of anything is subject to
the same taxes as would be appropriate if the item had been sold outright.)
The biggest problem with distillation is the government's constant
changing of what constitutes distillation. There have been times when
freezing hard cider was illegal and times when it wasn't. The last time I
checked (which was some years ago) anything that increased the alcohol
(we're talking ethyl alcohol) content (short of adding legally distilled
alcohol - properly bought and taxes paid for) was illegal. That means that
freezing hard cider is illegal. Actually catching you freeze-distilling is
a different story.
Distillation of alcohol with the use of a still has been illegal
for some time.
> Still, I do agree: check with a lawyer before distilling.
Better yet, check with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms, state and local police. They are the ones that will be coming for
you.
The "Lore of Still building" is good for a simple history and how
to on distillation. They, however, see distillation in period much the way
modern people do - it was done to make something more potent to drink.
This could not be farther from the reality.
Distillation, in period, was done primarily by alchemists (seeking
pure substances), and doctors (who were usually also alchemists).
Distillates used by doctors were roughly twice the strength of the wine it
was made from and was treated as a medicinal. Wines were roughly 9% by
volume or 18 proof. So the distilled alcohol would be 18% or 36 proof a bit
lower than what we would consider to be normal for this type of drink
(40-80 proof).
Benedictine, Amaretto, Frangelico, Rosolio and the various others
were all medicinals given for various ills. They weren't considered social
drinks. In the case of Rosolio, the ladies of the late 1400s and early
1500s would fain all manner of ills to acquire it. The Padua doctor that
"created" it was kept quite busy. Nor can I can blame the ladies. With it's
taste of roses it is absolutely marvelous.
It is also necessary to keep in mind that many of the medicinals
were made from particular types of alcohol like Italian or French brandy.
These two are a far cry from the Everclear (pure grain alcohol for those
that don't know what it is) or vodka that many SCAdians are using. They
will also impart their own taste and this should eb taken into
consideration when making the "medicinals".
> Cara The Unbalanced
> --
> There is no such thing as too many cats.
As a person overrun with the furry little delights, it is possible
to have too many cats ;-).
Ciaran the Blunt / Skip Watson
---
Internet: ciaran at aldhfn.akron.oh.us UUCP: ciaran at aldhfn.UUCP
Auldhaefen Associates Email: auldhaefen at aldhfn.akron.oh.us
From: WOLC4977 at splava.cc.PLattsburgh.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: WARNING!!!
Date: 8 Jul 1993 14:26:06 -0400
Organization: SUNY at Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Greetings,
Sorry to get technical on everybody for a few minutes but...
According to the United States Code Annotated, Title 26, Internal
Revenue Code && 5001 to 6000....
"
&& 5005 Persons Liable for Tax
(a) General. - The distiller or importer of distilled spirits shall be
liable for the taxes imposed theron by section 5001(a)(1)
(b) Domestic Distilled Spirits. -
(1) Liability of persons interested in distilling.- Every
proprietor or possesor of, and every person in any manner
interested in the use of, any still, distilling apparatus,
or distillry, shall be jointly and severally liable.....
(2) Exception.- A person owning, or having right of control of
not more than 10 percent of any class of stock of a corporate
proprietor of a distilled spirits plant.....(1) This exception
shall not apply to an Officer or Director of such a Corporate
Proprietor.
&& 5042 Exemption from Tax
(a) Tax Free Production.-
(1) Cider.- Subject to regulations prescribed by the secretary,
the noneffervescent product of the normal alchoholic
fermentation of apple juice only, which is produced at a
place other than a bonded wine cellar and without the use of
preservative methods or materials, and which is sold or
offered for sale as cider and not as wine or as a substitute
for wine, shall not be subject to tax as wine nor to the
provisions of Subchapter F.
(2) Wine for Personal or Family use.- Subject to regulations
prescribed by the Secretary-
(A) Exemption.- Any adult may, without payment of tax, produce
wine for personal or family use and not for sale.
(B) Limitation.- The aggregate amount of wine exempt from tax
under this paragraph withrespect to any household shall
not exceed-
(i) 200 gallons per calender year if there are 2 or more
adults in such household, or
(ii) 100 gallons per year if there is only 1 adult in such
household.
(C) Adults.- For purposes of...an individual who has attained
18 years of age or... "
In Short
1 - You may make wine ... 100 gals per person or
200 gals per household of 2 or more persons
2 - You may make beer ... (same amounts)
(Covered in a seperate section && 5402- 5685)
3 - You may not sell, barter, or trade what you make.
4 - You may not own a still, distilling apparatus, or distillry,
either assembled or unassembled, nor have such equipement in your
possesion without registering it with the Treasury Dept.
5 - You may not distill any alchohol from such an apparatus without
getting the proper permits, and paying the proper taxes....
&& 5141, 5142, 5143, 5145 and submitting to inspection...&&5146
You must register the Still ...&& 5149, and you must pay taxes if
you make the product <$500,000 - $10k in taxes - flat tax
6 - There are 17 seperate headings under Penalties - most of which
include huge fines and imprisonment.
7 - These are Federal Statutes - State and local laws may be stricter
but they CAN NOT BE MORE LENIENT.
All in all it is easier to buy a good bottle at your local store.
Sincerely,
Robert of Norwood
From: barclayp at bragg-emh1.ARmy.MIL (CPT Peter C. Barclay/Terafan Greydragon)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: "Mead" ...
Date: 13 Oct 1993 12:46:53 -0400
Organization: The Internet
Unto the Rialto does Lord Terafan Bid greetings!
hawk writes:
> ... any beverage containing honey could be called a "mead".
^^^^^
Not really true. Most people improperly call any beverage containing honey
"mead", however this is more like calling all facial tissues "Kleenex". Mostly
this is done due to a lack of knowledge.
*TRUE* mead contains only water, honey, AND YEAST. It is a fermented beverage.
There are many other fermented beverages containing honey and many without.
Since honey was the primary means of sweetening things for a large portion on
our period, it was included in lots of drinks, many to hide the awful taste of
herbal concoctions/medicines.
Here is a brief list of the proper name for fermented beverages containing
honey:
Honey with spices --> Metheglin
Honey with generic fruit --> Melomel
apples --> Cyser
grapes --> Pyment
Write me is you want more info...
Terafan
Guildmaster, Atlantia Brewer's Guild
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lord Terafan Greydragon House Oeuf d'Or
Peter C. Barclay Barony of Windmaster's Hill
barclayp at bragg-emh1.army.mil Atlantia
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: cav at bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Subject: Re: "Mead" ...
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 93 17:37:16 GMT
One barley/honey beverage brewed in period was 'braggot'
(and variations thereof). I'm not sure whether it leaned
more towards an ale or a mead (or even whether such a distinction
was particularly meaningful at the time it was popular).
The honey would have to constitute a significant proportion of
the fermentables (ie. not just a beer with a bit of honey
thrown in). Can't remember whether braggot was typically hopped/spiced.
Cheers, Balderik
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: mikeh at moci.uucp (Mike Huber)
Subject: Re: "Mead" ...
Organization: ICOM, Inc.
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1993 21:13:04 GMT
ee331aa at enchanter.eece.unm.edu (Joe Pepersack) writes:
: In article <1993Oct15.153218.5207 at moci.uucp> mikeh at moci.uucp (Mike Huber) writes:
: <snip - stuff about the different varieties of mead deleted>
: >
: >What about a brew consisting of wheat and barley malt and honey?
: >I just made a tasty batch, but I don't know what to call it.
: >(Quite dry - tasts like honey, but not at all sweet).
:
: I don't know what to call it either, but it sounds yummy. Why don't you
: post your recipe either here or in r.c.b so we can all try it?
2 boxes of weizbeer malt extract (7lb, 65% wheat, 35% barley)
3 lb honey
1 oz Mt. Hood hops
1 oz oh, hell, I don't remember hops
1 package whitbread ale yeast
1 1/2 cups of corn sugar
Mix the honey and malt extract with 1 1/2 galons of water, and bring
to a boil. After 45 minutes, add the Mt. Hood hops. After another 10
minutes, add the other hops. After another 5 minutes, pour the whole
mess into the fermenter, where you have already places 2 gallons of
cold water.
When the liquid is room temperature, add a package of whitbread ale yeast.
Allow this to ferment until it stops (took about 4 days, in my basement.)
Boil the corn sugar in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, and add
to the rest of the stuff, then bottle it in beer bottles.
Wait 2 weeks, and drink with some caution.
One note-the sludge from this stuff is particularly sticky.
Anaximander Domebuilder of Xidon
From: priest at vaxsar.vassar.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Zima?
Date: 4 Apr 94 22:21:45 +1000
Organization: Vassar College
Simon (Dave.Aronson at blkcat.fidonet.org) wrote:
>I seem to recall that there was an article on a medieval drink called "zima"
>posted here several years ago. Thought I saved it but can't find it now.
>
>So... could someone please give me a brief rundown on what it is? Am I
>correct in assuming that the alcoholic beverage now marketed as "Zima" is
>absolutely nothing like real zima? (What IS this new stuff anyway?)
Time tends to dilate oddly on the Rialto; that wasn't much more than a year
ago. Anyway, "sima" is a traditional drink in Finland, a sort of mild
alcoholic lemonade with (I think) raisins in it. I do not know that it is
period. (How about it, Jokke? Did Iso-Aiti teach me right?)
"Zima" is a flavored malt beverage, kind of like those bottled alcoholic drinks
marketed as "coolers," which bear a faint resemblance to the "wine coolers" of
a decade ago except that they're no longer made with wine. (Not an
improvement, in my opinion; there's a bitter aftertaste.)
****************************************************************************
Carolyn Priest-Dorman Thora Sharptooth
Poughkeepsie, NY Frosted Hills ("where's that?")
priest at vassar.edu East Kingdom (for now....)
Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or
****************************************************************************
From: jokke at nipsu.unda.fi (Jokke Kaksonen)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Zima?
Date: 6 Apr 1994 06:05:56 GMT
Organization: Unda Oy - a Scitex Company
Yes we have a drink called "sima". It is usually being made in spring and
has some alcohol in it, but not much. The process of making it goes like
this, Take some warm water and place some farinsugar ? (I don't know the
english name of the sugar, but its brownish and quite sticky) in the water.
Add some lemons and yeast. Let the sima be for a week or two and put it
in bottles and add some raisins to it.
The drink is definetly not period, not at least in Finland, because I
doubt if we got any raisins not to mention lemons this high up north
during medieval times. And if we would have gotten them here I doubt if
they would have been wasted to do such drinks.
So Carolyn your Iso-Aiti was right
Jokke
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: recipe for switchel
Summary: Make _PERIOD_ Gatoraide!
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 94 07:18:05 EDT
Respected friends:
Malice Emailed me with a request that I post the recipe for switchel,
which I have been serving for years under the nickname `Period Gatoraide".
First, an explanation of what this is _For_.
Switchel is specifically and solely a thirst-quencher. Despite its
ubiquitous use, I've never found evidence of anyone serving it with a meal-
always and only as `grab a swig and keep going' drink for people doing
physical work. Given that caveat, here's the recipe:
to one quart clean, room temperature water add:
-enough salt so that you can JUST taste the salt on the first sip (start with
a teaspoon)
-about one cup _cider or red wine_ vinegar, depending on the strength (modern
commercial vinegar usually runs more like 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
-enough honey so that the vinegar smell is not too obvious, nor the taste too
sour (Start with 1/2 cup.)
If some of the honey settles out after stirring well, pour off the
dissolved part and use the undissolved honey in another batch.
Don't use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or any other kind of
unknown etiology. You need the potassium from the apples or grapes. If you
have it, I was told that beer that has turned to vinegar works very nicely.
(Go ahead and try it- just not on me!) (it just occurred to me that the
right herbed vinegar might be really nice- though I haven't a shred of
documentation for it.)
Like the original flavor of Gatoraide, this stuff tastes good only
when you need it. Drink Switchel till it doesn't taste right, and you've
replaced enough electrolytes to restore blood balance. Then switch to plain
water to rehydrate.
The above recipe is worst-case, suitable for Atenvelt in July. Use
less honey and vinegar for milder weather and northern climes.
Yet another case where Period is cheaper, better, and more fun than
Modern. Ain't the SCA wunnerful?
In service to the Society-
Honour/Alizaunde
From: sam wise <swise at cyberia.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Brewing mead, etc...
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 18:15:13 +0000
Organization: The Net-Works
On 28 Aug 1995, James S Humphrey wrote:
> Can anyone out there help me? I need to locate PRIMARY sources for period
> recipes. Beer, mead, wine, vinegar, etc. And yes, I have The Closet Opened on
> my bookshelf. I am known in the SCA as Kaspar Barleycorn of Newcastle. I have,
try this address:
Cindy Renfrow
7 El's Way
Sussex, NJ 07461
The book Title is "A Sip Through Time"
This is the same author as "Take a Thousand Eggs or More"
and covers recipies from 1800bc to modern times.
hope this helps.
From: maunche at aol.com (Maunche)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Brewing mead, etc...
Date: 29 Aug 1995 23:33:04 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Greetings unto all who read these words, from Corwin of Darkwater.
Kaspar Barleycorn of Newcastle asks for "PRIMARY sources for period
recipes. Beer, mead, wine, vinegar, etc."
My Lord, since you have Digby, consider:
Thomas Cogan, The Haven of Health, 1594
Thomas Hyll, A Profitable Instruction of the Perfite Ordering of Bees,
With the Marvellous Nature, Propertie, and Governments of Them,
London: 1597
Char Butler, The Feminine Monarchie, or A Treatise Concerning Bees, And
the Dye Ordering of Them, Oxford: 1609
Gervase Markham, The English Hus-wife, London: 1615
Hugh Plat, Delights for Ladies, 1609
Hugh Plat, The Jewel House of Art and Nature, 1653
As Guildmaster of the AEthelmearc Brewers Guild, I also put out a
quarterly newsletter (Scum) on the subject. Contact me for details.
Corwin of Darkwater
Scriba fermentatoris, Fermentator scribae!
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming )
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Looking for medieval drink recipes
Date: 3 Nov 1995 17:59:22 GMT
"The Dragon Keeper, Gerry Baygents" <baygents at milo.math.sc.edu> writes:
>A friend of mine has asked me to "surf the net" looking for medieval
>cordial and liquer recipes. I've only come across one or two things
>so far, so I thought I'd try this approach. He's willing to try
>ANYTHING, so don't hold back.
Try _A Sip Through Time_ by Cindy Renfrow (7 El's Way, Sussex, NJ
07461). It contains over 400 recipes from Ancient Egypt/Greece/Rome,
through medieval Europe and into the later centuries as far as the
1800s. There are recipes for ale, beer, mead, methegliln, cider,
perry, brandy, liqueurs, distilled waters, hypocras, wines, caudles,
possets, and syllabubs...to take a line from the book. There also is
an appendix listing the herbs and fruits with warnings about those
which might cause health problems. It is 335 pages and costs $20.00
US. New Jersey residents have to add their 6% sales tax. Checks
should be payable to Cindy and sent to her address.
This is a very nice compilation of all sorts of recipes from all sorts
of sources. Have fun brewing! (Or is that trouble brewing?)
Alys K.
From: afn03234 at freenet2.freenet.ufl.edu (Ronald L. Charlotte)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Looking for medieval drink recipes
Date: 6 Nov 1995 05:17:09 GMT
"The Dragon Keeper, Gerry Baygents" <baygents at milo.math.sc.edu> wrote:
> A friend of mine has asked me to "surf the net" looking for medieval cordial
> and liquer recipes. I've only come across one or two things so far, so
> I thought I'd try this approach. He's willing to try ANYTHING, so don't
> hold back.
Try this :
From _Inns, Ales, and Drinking Customs of Old England_ by Frederick W.
Hackwood (ISBN 0 946495 25 4).
Piment (ca 15th C)
"Take clowis, quibibus, maces, canel, galyngale, and make powdyr therof,
temprying it with good wine and the third part hony, and clense hem
thorow a clene klothe. Also thou mayest make it with good ale."
--
al Thaalibi ---- An Crosaire, Trimaris
Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL
afn03234 at freenet.ufl.edu
From: bryn-gwlad at eden.com (12/11/95)
To: bryn-gwlad at eden.com
RE>Brewer's Guild
Robin N Faut wrote:
> I am a brewer in the SCA in the Kingdom of Calontir, Barony of
> Forgotten Sea. I have made mead and ale, if you wish to trade
> recipies let me know.
You could also view the extensive collection of recipes at
http://alpha.rollanet.org/cm3/CatsMeow3.html
kindest regards,
Shelton Berwick
Brewer and Journeyman Drinker (at least in this august company)
From: marka at primenet.com (MANIAC)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: OLDE DRYNKE RECYPIES!!!
Date: 31 May 1996 00:04:02 -0700
Organization: Primenet Services for the Internet
Good lords and ladies, vinters and brewers, looking for new drink
recipes? DON'T!!! Look for old ones instead.
Go to your local homebrew supply store and pick up a copy of "A Sip
Through Time", by Cindy Renfrow (ISBN 0-962598-3-4). It is filled
with over 400 OLD recipes from 1800B.C. (yes, that's 3796 years ago!)
to the mid 1800s. It contains recipes for ales, beers, meads,
hydromels, metheglins, wines, caudles, possets, syllabubs, brandies,
liqueurs, distilled waters, ciders, perrys, and hypocras. PLUS it has
a wonderful glossary and a great appendix on herbs and fruits.
Darren of Scottsdale
Cook
Vinter
Merry-maker
From: Mike Faul <mfaul at netscape.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: danelion wine
Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 08:28:52 -0700
Organization: Netscape Communications
> all!,for this post i should like to know if anyone has a
> recipe for Dandelion Wine,if so would you kindly e-mail me the
> destructions :).
Take 10 lbs of dandelion flowers and soak in 1 gallon of boiling water.
Add 4 lbs of sugar and mix to dissolve. Add more sugar to bring the
specific gravity closer to 1.09deg but you should be at 1.07 with the
mix above. Adjust as necessary.
The following can be ommitted if you want a more "period" recipe.
Add 1/4 tsp tannin per gallon
2 tsp of acid blend per gallon
2 tsp yeast nutrient per gallon (added when the must has cooled)
If you omit the above use a slice of a HOMEMADE brown bread (no
preservatives) as the nutrient and a squeeze from a lemon for the acid.
Some red grape skins can be aded for the tannin but only 10 or so will
suffice.
Let cool to under 85def F. and pitch a decent wine yeast.
It should start fermenting in a day or so. Let the primary fermentation
continue until if slows. Rack into a clean container. Allow to ferment
racking as needed until the SG is 1.01 or lower. You should clear and
bottle. Age as you see fit.
Fionn MacPhail OL
From: Michael Bennett <mjb at efn.org>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: REQ: Irish Cream Recipie?
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 19:45:04 -0800
Organization: Oregon Public Networking
Jo Beverley wrote:
>
> DIN-9 (neb at sunnetwork.com) wrote:
> : Anybody got a good Irish Crem recipie that could be finishished before
> : Estrella? If you do, *please* let me know.
>
> If you mean something period, I don't know. If you mean something like
> Bailey's Irish Cream, I used to have one. As I remember, it was condensed
> milk, vodka, and some flavoring you get from a wine-making store. If you
> go to the latter, they'll have it and instructions. It's ready as soon as
> you mix it.
One of the brand names is called "Noirot". I've had real good luck with
them. I suggest using a good cheap whisky instead of vodka.
--
Brenainn MacCuUladh
aka Mike Bennett
mjb at efn.org
From: yehudahben at aol.com (YehudahBen)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: REQ: Irish Cream Recipie?
Date: 6 Feb 1997 06:40:34 GMT
ABSOLUTELY!
I am literally making a batch now.
3 eggs
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tbs choc syrup (can sub coconut)
1 tsp water
1 1/4 cup whiskey
1 pt heavy cream
THROUGHLY mix all ingrediants EXCEPT THE CREAM.
When other stuff is complete mixed, blend in the cream.
Take care not to mix to hard.
Refrigerate 24 hours before serving
KEEP COLD!
It's very simple, tastes wonderful.
From: rayah guthrey <rayah at nauticom.net>
Organization: Nauticom!
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: REQ: Irish Cream Recipie?
Date: 6 Feb 97 03:43:34 GMT
Irish Cream Whiskey: Modern recipe:
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
l (14oz) can sweentened condensed milk
l l/4 cups whipping cream
l l/2 cup whiskey
l l/2 tablespoons sweetened chocolate syrup
l/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1. Step one: In large bowl beat egg yolks until thick
2. Step two: Stir in condensed milk, cream, whiskey, chocolate syrup, and
coconut extract. Beat for l minute. Taste and add more coconut extract if
desired.
3. Step three: In large decanter pour Irish Cream Whiskey. Seal. Store
in refrigerator-allow to mellow 7 days before using. Will keep up to 2
weeks.
Rayah
From: James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag at worldnet.att.net>
To: sca-cooks at eden.com
Subject: sca-cooks Re: Atholbrose.
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 23:31:56 +0000
At 04:55 10-4-97 +0000, Sianan wrote:
>Does any of the brewers hiding out there know the recipe for Atholbrose?
>It's a favourite for highland gatherings.
>
> I know it involves oat starch, whiskey, sugar and cream, but that's all I
>know, my understanding of the brewers art being limited.
>
>-Sianan
Atholl Brose
It was very common to mix whisky with honey in the past and equally common
to mix liquid with oatmeal. Bringing the two together in this potent way is
credited to a Duke of Atholl during a Highland rebellion in 1475, who is
said to have foiled his enemies by filling the well which they normally
drank from with this ambrosial mixture, which so intoxicated them that they
were easily taken.
Some traditional recipes leave in the whole oatmeal while this one, reputed
to have come from a Duke of Atholl, uses only the strained liquid from
steeping the oatmeal in water.
6 oz / 175 g medium oatmeal (1-1/2 c)
4 tablespoons heather honey
1-1/2 pt / 3/4 L whisky (3-3/4 c)
3/4 pt / 450 ml water (2 c)
Put the oatmeal into a bowl and add the water. Leave for about an hour.
Put into fine sieve and press all the liquid through. (Use the remaining
oatmeal for putting into bread or making porridge - see p. 26). Add honey
to the sieved liquid and mix well. Pour into a large bottle and fill up
with the whisky. Shake well before use.
Uses
May be drunk as a liqueur; is often served at festive celebrations such as
New Year, or may be mixed with stiffly whipped cream and served with
shortbread as a sweet.
(*Scottish Cookery*, by Catherine Brown, p 28. Richard Drew Publishing,
Glasgow, 1990. Copyright 1989 by Catherine Brown)
Slainte -
Alasdair mac Iain of Elderslie Argent, a chevron cotised azure
Dun na Leomhainn Bhig surmounted by a sword and in chief
Barony of Marinus two mullets sable
-----------------------------
James and/or Nancy Gilly
katiemorag at worldnet.att.net
From: "Chuck Graves" <Chuck_Graves at mmacmail.jccbi.gov>
To: sca-cooks at eden.com
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 97 12:03:43 CST
Subject: sca-cooks Re[2]: Atholbrose.
>Does any of the brewers hiding out there know the recipe for Atholbrose?
>It's a favourite for highland gatherings.
>
> I know it involves oat starch, whiskey, sugar and cream, but that's all I
>know, my understanding of the brewers art being limited.
>
>-Sianan
Okay...you're in luck
Ingredients
2-3 cp rolled oats
2-3 cp water
1-1 1/2 cp more water
4 cp scotch (do not scrimp on quality)
1 cp honey
1 cp cream or Half-n-Half
Process
Mix oats and initial water (2-3 cp) in a large bowl. Stir. Let the
mixture sit overnight until the water is completely absorbed. Add
remainder of water to mixture. Let stand for 2 hours.
Strain oat/water mixture through 2-3 layers of cheese cloth into a
large bowl by wringing and squeezing until the oats are nearly free of
water. Messy and strenuous! Reserve pressed oats for oat cakes.
Add scotch, honey, and cream to oat-water. Mix until all ingredients
are blended. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Whew...not bad for a one-handed typist.
Cheers,
Tadhg
From: "Philip W. Troy" <troy at asan.com>
To: sca-cooks at eden.com
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 16:16:22 -0400
Subject: Re: sca-cooks Re[2]: Atholbrose.
Mark Schuldenfrei wrote:
> Add scotch, honey, and cream to oat-water. Mix until all ingredients
> are blended. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
>
> To the best of my knowledge, Athol Brose is not period. Do you know more?
> Tibor (Older than Grandma does not make it period... :-)
Athelbrose is almost certainly period, but I suspect it's one of those
dishes where the modern version is a bit more fun than its austere
ancestor, which appears to have been made of oats and water, kept at
body temperature until a tiny amount of fermentation has taken place.
Definitely not much fun...
Adamantius
From: James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag at worldnet.att.net>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 22:36:05 +0000
Subject: SC - [fwd] Atholl Brose Recipe
Forwarded (with permission) from the Atlantian mailing list:
>From: etsmith at scsn.net (E T Smith)
>To: atlantia at csc.ncsu.edu
>Subject: Atholl Brose Recipe
>Date: Sat, 12 Apr 97 22:33:45 +0000
>
>Poster: etsmith at scsn.net (E T Smith)
>
> One of my greatest pleasures in life is giving others something good
>to eat, drink, or hear. I am most gratified that such a respected brewer
>as our former Royal Brewer, Lord Tadhg, would consider my Atholl Brose
>palatable. While there are a number of variants of this potable, I'll
>offer my variation on the recipe listed in Recipes from Scotland by F.
>Marian McNeill, (Edinburgh, Scotland: The Albyn Press, 1946), p.90.
>1 Quart Steel-cut Oatmeal, uncooked
>1 Cup Heather Honey
>A Fifth of Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
>Milk or cream to taste
>Directions:
>Put the oatmeal (please use regular Quaker Oats if you cannot find Irish
>or Scots) in a two-quart open glass container and cover the oats with
>"good" water. (I use bottled water.) After a day's time, again cover the
>oats with water. When the "milk" is opaque, strain the liquid through
>cheesecloth into a clean, sealable glass container. Add the honey,
>whiskey, and milk or cream to the oat milk, and refrigerate the
>container for at least two weeks or more. Agitate the mixture daily to
>ensure a proper emulsion.
>No, this is not a drink in the class of Flaming Dragons and such, but it
>will sneak up on you because it goes down so smoothly. Cheers!
>Thomas
Slainte -
Alasdair mac Iain of Elderslie Argent, a chevron cotised azure
Dun an Leomhainn Bhig surmounted by a sword and in chief
Barony of Marinus two mullets sable
From: James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag at worldnet.att.net>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 22:36:09 +0000
Subject: SC - [fwd] Re: Atholl Brose Recipe
Forwarded (with permission) from the Atlantian mailing list:
>To: atlantia at csc.ncsu.edu
>From: Corun MacAnndra <corun at access.digex.net>
>Subject: Re: Atholl Brose Recipe
>Date: Sun, 13 Apr 97 00:12:21 +0000
>
>Poster: Corun MacAnndra <corun at access.digex.net>
>
>Master Thomas wrote:
>>
>>Dear Friends,
>> One of my greatest pleasures in life is giving others something good
>>to eat, drink, or hear. I am most gratified that such a respected brewer
>>as our former Royal Brewer, Lord Tadhg, would consider my Atholl Brose
>>palatable. While there are a number of variants of this potable, I'll
>>offer my variation on the recipe listed in Recipes from Scotland by F.
>>Marian McNeill, (Edinburgh, Scotland: The Albyn Press, 1946), p.90.
>
>While I have not tried to make Atholbrose, I do have another recipe which
>all might consider trying some time. I picked this up off the Rialto some
>time ago. Included is also a recipe for oat cakes to make from the oats that
>will be left over. The fellow who posted it, one Lothar by name, got it
>froma friend who got it from a Laurel in Michigan. I can not attest to
>either its authenticity or its flavour.
>
>Corun
>
> Athollbrose
>
>Ingredients
> 2-3 cups rolled oats
> 2-3 cups water
> 1-1 1/2 cups more water
> 4 cups Scotch (the better quality the better the brew)
> 1 cup honey
> 1 cup cream or Half-n-Half
>
>Equipment Needed
> Two large bowls
> measuring cup
> spoon
> cheese cloth
>
>Makes 1/2 gallon
>
>Instructions
>
> 1. In a large bowl mix oats and water, stir, let the mixture sit until
> the water is totally absorbed (overnight).
>
> 2. Add 1-1 1/2 cups more water to the mixture, let sit 2 hours.
>
> 3. Strain oat/water mixture through 2-3 layers of cheese cloth into a
> large bowl by squeezing and wringing globs of oatmeal through the
> cheese cloth until oats are nearly free of water. This is messy and
> requires a lot of effort! Reserve pressed oats for oat cakes.
>
> 4. Add scotch, honey, and cream to oat-water. Mix until all ingredients
> are are blended.
>
> 5. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Best served cold.
>
> Athollbrose is an alcoholic Scots punch. I don't know if it's Period,
>but all the ingredients are concievably available in Period. In any case,
>it's delicious. It is quite alcoholic, but the oats, honey, and cream hide
>the alcoholic kick and "fill your stomach". It's delicious, dangerous stuff.
>
>Oat Cakes
>
>Ingredients
> Oats
> Water
> Butter
> (optionally sugar)
>
>Equipment
> Mixing bowl
> Griddle or Skillet
> Pancake turner
>
>Makes approximately 20? cakes
>
>Instructions
>
> 1. Take oats reserved from Athelbross mix with a bit of water, butter,
> and possibly sugar until you have created a relatively dry mixture of
> the ingredients.
>
> 2. Make thin pattys from the mixture and cook on a greased griddle or
> skillet like pancakes until the oats on both sides are golden brown and
> the patty is cooked through. This will require a low heat and some
> patience.
>
> The resulting cake is hard, sweet (especially if you add sugar), and
>dry. They go along very nicely with Athollbrose. The oat-stuff left over
>after the Athollbrose is basically waste. This is something useful to do with
>it. The recipie is only an approximation, since everyone will have their own
>way of making what is, essentially, an oatmeal cookie fried in a pan.
>
>
> Corun MacAnndra | Dark Horde by birth | Moritu by choice
>Though we are not now that strength, which in old days moved earth and heaven,
>that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time
>and fates, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.
Slainte -
Alasdair mac Iain
From: DDFr at best.com (David Friedman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Is pesto period?
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 1997 00:28:16 -0800
Organization: Santa Clara University
norseman at voicenet.com wrote:
>Barring that, does anyone have a good idea for period uses for a
>mountain of basil in an Italian feast some months in the future?
This is Andalusian, not Italian, but the Italians had quite a lot of
contact with the civilized world:
Syrup of Basil
Take seeds of fresh green basil, pound them in a stone mortar, and press
out their water. Take these seeds and cook them in water until half of the
water remains, clarify it and leave it to cool. Pour in a suitable amount
sugar when it is cold, and put it on the fire until it takes the
consistency of syrup. If seeds cannot be found, take the leaves, be they
green or dried, cook them in water to cover until their substance comes
out, and then take the clean part of it and add the sugar; cook it as I
have indicated for the seeds, and take it to an earthenware vessel. Drink
an žqiya of this in three of cold water. Its benefits are to free the
bowel with blood and for him who has a cough with diarrhea.
David/Cariadoc
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 10:36:22 -0800
From: Ron and Laurene Wells <tinyzoo at vr-net.com>
Subject: SC - Another Glogg recipe
Title: Glogg
Categories: Beverages
Yield: 1 servings
1/2 t Finely Shredded Orange Peel
1 ea Whole Clove
3/4 c Sweet Red Wine
1 t Raisins
2 ea Whole, Blanched Almonds
1 ea 1" Stick Cinnamon, Broken
1 ea Cardamom Pod, Opened
2 T Whiskey
1/2 t Honey
For spice bag, tie stredded orange peel, cinnamon, whole clove,
and opened cardamom pod in a double layer of cheesecloth. In a
2-cup measure combine wine, whiskey, raisins, honey, and spice bag.
Micro-cook, uncovered, on 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes or till
heated through, but not boiling. If desired, cover and let stand
at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to develop more flavor. If
wine mixture is allowed to stand, micro-cook, uncovered, on 50%
power for 3 to 4 minutes more or till heated through, but not
boiling. Remove spice bag. Serve in a mug. Add almonds.
- -----
Hope you enjoy! I think we made this once about 5 years ago. It was ...
interesting.
- -Laurene
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 16:04:55 -0800
From: "Crystal A. Isaac" <crystal at pdr-is.com>
Subject: Re: SC - FW: Glogg - LONG
>anybody steer me to the right sources for documentation? It has the
>following ingredients:
>red wine, aquavit, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, raisins,
>and almonds.
>
>Robert the Bald
I hope this message reaches you, Robert the Bald.
You question is, is the Glogg recipe period, yes? The short answer is
no, that diversiy of spices are not found in one drink recipe. However,
you can justify your family recipe by lumping together several "period"
sources. One really good source for spiced wines with brandy added is
_The Earliest Printed Book on Wine_ originally by Arnald of Villanova
(1235-1311). Translated by Henry E. Sigerist, M.D.. Published by
Schuman's, New York, 1943. This is a translation of the 1478 German
edition. Arnald writes about lots of diffrent types of spiced wines and
(a little) about thier preperation techniques. For you, his wonderfully
vauge instructions are perfect.
Page 41 <begin quote>
A wine to which you can give, if you wish, any taste you like. It is
worthy of a count, and is particularly appropriate for gentlemen who
want to show what a variety of marvelous wines they have....Briefly
spoken the matter is this. You shall keep herbs or spices, whichever you
like, for one day and one night in brandy so that the power of these
things be incorporated in the brandy. It will assume the taste and
flavor of those spices or herbs. Put a little of this brandy into the
wine that you intend to drink, and the wine will acquire the taste and
flavor of the substance.<end quote>
More documentation for adding brandy to wine for drinking:
Hieatt, Constance and Butler, Sharon. editors and translators. _Curye on
Inglysch: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century
(Including the Forme of Cury)_. Published for the Early English Text
Society by Oxford University Press. London, England 1985 ISBN
0-19-722409.
Page 148 V: Goud Cookery written about 1390CE.
<begin quote>Potus clarrti pro domino. Take of canel I lb. as it cometh
out of the bale; of gyngyuer, xii unce in the same maner; iii quarter of
a lb. of pepir; ii unce & a half of greynes; iii unce & a half of
clowis; ii unce & a half of galyngale; ii unce of coliaundir; a quarter
of a pynte of aqua ardaunt; with iii galouns of hony; rescett for xx
galouns of clarrey.<end quote>
My interpretation:
4 A Sweet Wine Drink for a Lord. Take 1 pound of cinnamon as it comes
out of the bale; 7 ounces of ginger in the same manner; .75 of a pound
of pepper, 2 ounces of long pepper, 2.5 ounces of grains of Paris, 3.5
ounces of cloves, 2.5 ounce of galingal, 2 ounces of caraway, 2 ounces
of mace, 2 ounces of nutmeg, 2 ounces of coriander seed, a quarter pint
of aqua ardaunt (wine brandy); with 3 gallons of honey: this recipe is
for 20 gallons of spiced wine
Most of the ingredients you use are "period." Rasin wine is no problem,
neither are most of the spices you use. Cardamon is a little unusual,
but it appears in Le MŽnagier De Paris. (see below)
Another quote of Arnald, Page 34
<begin quote>Raisin wine is prepared thus: Take 3 pounds of fat raisins,
2 ounces of peeled, well ground cinnamon. Boil this with an amount of
must and thereafter pour it into a cask of must. It clarifies in 12 days
and is then good and tasty.<end quote>
_Le MŽnagier De Paris circa_. 1393. Coulton, GC and Power, Eileen,
Editors and Translators. Published as The Goodman Of Paris by George
Routledge and Sons, Ltd., London. 1928. Page 299-300
<begin quote> For a quart or a quarter of hippocras by the measure of
Beziers, Carcassonne or Montpellier, take five dram of fine cinnamon,
selected and peeled; white ginger selected and pared 3 drams; of cloves,
cardamom, mace, galingale, nutmegs, [spike]nard, altogether a dram and a
quarter, most of the first and less of each of the others in order. Let
a powder be made thereof, and with it put a pound and half a quarter (by
the heavy weight) of lump sugar, brayed and mingled with the aforesaid
spices; and let wine and sugar be set and melted on a dish on the fire,
and mixed therewith; then put it in the strainer, and strain it until it
runs clear red. Note, that the sugar and the cinnamon ought to
predominate.<end quote>
Orange peel is harder to document until *very* late english renisasance.
Check sources such as Platt or Digbie for adding orange peels. It seems
that medieval people just didn't add fruit to wine. I think this was
because wine was expensive and fruit was cheap. Look for recipes for
hippocras. When you find them you will also find all the sources you
need for adding sugar to wine. (As well as those already cited.)
Almonds did not seem to be normally added to spiced wines, but there is
a mention of them in Curye on Inglysch (see above for full citation.
Page 45, I: Diuersa Cibaria
<begn quote> 5 Kaudel ferre.
Wyn, amnidoun, reysyns withoute stones to don thrin, sucre vort abaten
the streinthe of the wine.<end quote>
My interpretation:
Take wine, ground almonds, ground seedless raisins and sugar in order to
hide the strength of the wine.
The biggest problem with the recipe to "make it medieval" is that there
is no pepper. Every hippocras recipe I have found includes pepper in
some form (black pepper, grains of paradise, spikenard etc.) I know
pepper in a sweet wine seems a little odd, but I assure you the extra
bite it add to the wine is very good.
Please write to me if you have any questions, I like to talk about
beverages (could you tell? ;)
Crystal of the Westermark
crystal at pdr-is.com
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:10:04 EST
From: Feenercrai at aol.com
Subject: SC - Glogg
Since I haven't seen any responses to the Glogg question (I could have missed
them in recent days, too much mail, etc,etc) I thought I should say something.
Apologies if I'm going over other people's info.
Glogg is very related to Gluhwein (also has dots over the u). It is also very
very closely related to Hyppocras (Ippocras or Ypocras). They are all hot
spiced wines, with, in modern times an amazing number of variations. Some
variations are using brandied cherries, vodka-soaked bluberries, plus the
almond variations. It's too late to make a research trip this year ;), but
gluhwein is very popular at the Christmas markets in Germany (Weihnachtsmarkts
- - outdoor evening markets where people stroll, drink gluhwine and sometimes
buy traditional goods). . .
There is a recipe in "Curye on Inglysch" that is fairly easy to redact (Book
5, recipe 5). It calls for cinnamon, ginger, long pepper, cloves, nutmeg,
caraway, spikenard, galingale, and sugar. Recipe #199 in Book 4 adds to those
ingredients marjoram, cardamom, and grains of paradise. There are more
variations in other period cookbooks as well, some which call for fewer
spices, btw.
Modern recipes call for cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange or lemon peel, or
orange slices, plus sugar. Some call for some apple slices or juice, and some
call for almonds, as well.
I'm not giving quantities because there are many variations, plus the amount
of spicing and sugar depends on the wine you use for a base. If you want a
fairly specific recipe, or two, email me.
Hope this is useful!
Juliana
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 12:40:47 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: SC - Perry and braggot
Braggot, a.k.a. brakkot or bracket, was, originally, essentially spiced
mead made with ale instead of water to dilute the honey. Early recipes
call for the malt to be "twice mashed", making the ale extra strong, but
then it usually gets boiled and loses most of the alcohol, when it is
combined with the honey. Hard spirits in some form are apparently added
to compensate, so little or no further fermentation occurs after that.
In this form it's basically a cordial, and a very old, and very
precious, Welsh specialty, mentioned in early Welsh legal codes as a
trade commodity.
Later braggot recipes (the form I prefer -- see Digby) call for the malt
to be mashed not twice, but for a second time, if you see the
distinction. In other words malt that has already been used once to make
ale is then infused again, either for small ale, or for braggot by the
addition of honey and spices, thereby jacking up the amount of
fermentables present.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 11:35:21 -0800
From: "Crystal A. Isaac" <crystal at pdr-is.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Sugar Maples
Par Leijonhuvud wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Mar 1998, Tim & Dee wrote:
> > Is/are there any sugar maple trees in Europe? And what is Sweet
> > Water?
snip
> You *can* get a sweet syrup from birches, but I don't know if it was
> done in the middle ages.
There is some precedent in using tree sap as a fermentable sweetener. In
her text, A Second Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food & Drink: Production &
Distribution (page 229), Ann Hagan notes "Saps were apparently
fermented: Bartholomew Anglicus observes that birch and honey would make
a strong drink, and sycamore saps could be fermented with ale or yeast."
C. Anne Wilson further comments, "Birch tree wine was fermented from the
spring sap tapped from tree trunks in Sussex and in the Scottish
highlands. The sap could also be brewed as ale with only a quarter of
the normal allowance of malt." in Food and Drink in Britain from the
Stone Age to the 19th Century (page 383).
I will cheerfully make beer/mead/nonalcoholics for anybody who has
*primary* documentation for tree sap in medieval drinks (other than
Bartholomew Anglicus, I've already found a copy of him).
Crystal of the Westermark
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 10:28:00 -0400
From: "Peters, Rise J." <PetersR at spiegel.becltd.com>
Subject: SC - FW: Atholl Brose (LONG)
Regarding Aethelbrose/Atholl Brose, we had four variations on it posted here
a year and a half ago, as follows. I'll leave it to someone else to pull
out the common elements from these:
----------
From: James and/or Nancy Gilly
Date: Thursday, December 12, 1996 9:32PM
Atholl Brose
It was very common to mix whisky with honey in the past and equally
common to mix liquid with oatmeal. Bringing the two together in this potent
way is credited to a Duke of Atholl during a Highland rebellion in 1475, who
is said to have foiled his enemies by filling the well which they normally
drank from with this ambrosial mixture, which so intoxicated them that they
were easily taken.
Some traditional recipes leave in the whole oatmeal while this one,
reputed to have come from a Duke of Atholl, uses only the strained liquid
from steeping the oatmeal in water.
6 oz / 175 g medium otameal (1-1/2 c)
4 tablespoons heather honey
1-1/2 pt / 3/4 L whisky (3-3/4 c)
3/4 pt / 450 ml water (2 c)
Put the oatmeal into a bowl and add the water. Leave for about an
hour. Put into fine sieve and press all the liquid through. (Use the
remaining oatmeal for putting into bread or making porridge - see p. 26).
Add honey to the sieved liquid and mix well. Pour into a large bottle and
fill up with the whisky. Shake well before use.
Uses
May be drunk as a liqueur; is often served at festive celebrations such
as New Year, or may be mixed with stiffly whipped cream and served with
shortbread as a sweet.
(*Scottish Cookery*, by Catherine Brown. Copyright 1989 Catherine Brown.
Reprinted 1990, Richard Drew Publishing Ltd, Glasgow.)
Slainte -
Alasdair mac Iain of Elderslie Argent, a chevron cotised azure
Dun na Leomhainn Bhig surmounted by a sword and in chief
Barony of Marinus two mullets sable
-----------------------------
From: Tom Brady
Date: Thursday, December 12, 1996 10:10PM
Your Grace, I not only have a delicious recipe, I have made it and will
vouch for it. I kept this on file from The Rialto, where it originally
appeared on 24 April, 1995, written by the estimable Lothar (Roslyn Rice).
Here is the pertinent text of the post (all typos mine, since Dejanews' 1995
archive is currently unavailable):
AEthelbross
-----------
Ingredients:
2-3 cups rolled oats
2-3 cups water
1-1 1/2 cups more water
4 cups Scotch (the better the quality the better the brew)
1 cup honey
1 cup cream or half-n-half
Equipment needed:
Two large bowls
measuring cup
spoon
cheese cloth
Makes 1/2 gallon
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, mix oats and water, stir, and let the mixture sit until
the water is totally absorbed (overnight).
2. Add 1-1 1/2 cups more water to the mixture; let it sit 2 hours.
3. Strain oat/water mixture through 2-3 layers of cheesecloth into a large
bowl by squeezing and wringing globs of oatmeal through the cloth until the
oats are nearly free of water. This is messy and requires a lot of effort!
Reserve pressed oats for oat cakes [see recipe below].
4. Add scotch, honey, and cream to oat-water. Mix until ingredients are
blended.
5. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Best served cold.
Oat Cakes
---------
Ingredients:
Oats
Water
Butter
(optionally sugar)
Equipment:
Mixing bowl
Griddle or skillet
Pancake turner
Makes approximately 20? cakes
Instructions:
1. Take oats reserved from AEthelbross, and mix with a bit of water, butter,
and possibly sugar until you have created a relatively dry mixture of
ingredients.
2. Make thin patties from the mixture and cook on a greased griddle or
skillet like pancakes until the oats on both sides are golden brown and the
patty is cooked through. This will require low heat and some patience.
The resulting cake is hard, sweet (especially if you add sugar), and dry.
They go along very nicely with AEthebross. The oat-stuff left after making
AEthelbross is basically waste; this is somethign useful to do with it. It
is essentially an oatmeal cookie fried in a pan.
---------
Duncan's comments: I've made the AEthelbross, but not the oat cakes. I used
a blended scotch (I think single malt is a bit much considering all the
other stuff being mixed in), clover honey bought in bulk from my local
health food store, and straight heavy whipping cream. The resulting drink is
thick, sweet, creamy, and potent enough to knock your socks off. I can
recommend it highly - in fact, I'll probably have some with me at Twelfth
Night.
Slainte!
-Duncan, yr. inebriated cook
_________________________________
From: E T Smith
Date: Saturday, April 12, 1997 6:33PM
Recipes from Scotland by F.
Marian McNeill, (Edinburgh, Scotland: The Albyn Press, 1946), p.90.
1 Quart Steel-cut Oatmeal, uncooked
1 Cup Heather Honey
A Fifth of Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Milk or cream to taste
Directions:
Put the oatmeal (please use regular Quaker Oats if you cannot find Irish
or Scots) in a two-quart open glass container and cover the oats with
"good" water. (I use bottled water.) After a day's time, again cover the
oats with water. When the "milk" is opaque, strain the liquid through
cheesecloth into a clean, sealable glass container. Add the honey,
whiskey, and milk or cream to the oat milk, and refrigerate the
container for at least two weeks or more. Agitate the mixture daily to
ensure a proper emulsion.
_________________________________________
FROM: Corun MacAndra
Athollbrose
Ingredients
2-3 cups rolled oats
2-3 cups water
1-1 1/2 cups more water
4 cups Scotch (the better quality the better the brew)
1 cup honey
1 cup cream or Half-n-Half
Equipment Needed
Two large bowls
measuring cup
spoon
cheese cloth
Makes 1/2 gallon
Instructions
1. In a large bowl mix oats and water, stir, let the mixture sit until
the water is totally absorbed (overnight).
2. Add 1-1 1/2 cups more water to the mixture, let sit 2 hours.
3. Strain oat/water mixture through 2-3 layers of cheese cloth into a
large bowl by squeezing and wringing globs of oatmeal through the
cheese cloth until oats are nearly free of water. This is messy and
requires a lot of effort! Reserve pressed oats for oat cakes.
4. Add scotch, honey, and cream to oat-water. Mix until all ingredients
are are blended.
5. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Best served cold.
Athollbrose is an alcoholic Scots punch. I don't know if it's Period,
but all the ingredients are concievably available in Period. In any case,
it's delicious. It is quite alcoholic, but the oats, honey, and cream hide
the alcoholic kick and "fill your stomach". It's delicious, dangerous stuff.
Oat Cakes
Ingredients
Oats
Water
Butter
(optionally sugar)
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Griddle or Skillet
Pancake turner
Makes approximately 20? cakes
Instructions
1. Take oats reserved from Athelbross mix with a bit of water, butter,
and possibly sugar until you have created a relatively dry mixture of
the ingredients.
2. Make thin pattys from the mixture and cook on a greased griddle or
skillet like pancakes until the oats on both sides are golden brown and
the patty is cooked through. This will require a low heat and some
patience.
The resulting cake is hard, sweet (especially if you add sugar), and
dry. They go along very nicely with Athollbrose. The oat-stuff left over
after the Athollbrose is basically waste. This is something useful to do with
it. The recipie is only an approximation, since everyone will have their own
way of making what is, essentially, an oatmeal cookie fried in a pan.
Corun MacAnndra | Dark Horde by birth | Moritu by choice
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 10:58:34 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Mulling recipes
Varju at aol.com wrote:
> << When apple cider is first made, it is not fermented. Perfectly safe for
> kids and recovering alcoholics and others who don't want alcoholic
> drinks >>
>
> I have always heard that referred to as apple juice. If it has alcohol in it
> its cider. I think most of the languages I've learned have also had this
> distinction. I think this is also the line of thought Ras was taking,
> especially since he is our expert on alcohol. :->
>
> Noemi
One of the things to bear in mind is that from a period perspective, the
majority of fermentable beverages were fermented, at least in theory.
Now, the degree to which they are fermented varied considerably from
zero to full conversion of sugars to alcohols, or close to it. So, for
practical purposes, there was no need in period to define non-alcoholic
versions of wine, cider, ale, beer, or mead. They were just new batches
of wine, cider, ale, beer, or mead. One could argue that must might be
seen as a separate term for an unfermented grape juice in its most raw
form, but must was not, so far as I know, considered a beverage.
There are references in historical accounts to brewers who sold
insufficiently fermented or cleared ale; one case in Oxford brought
about the introduction of a law to deal with the problem, requiring
brewers to let their ale to ferment and settle for _six hours_ minimum.
For practical purposes that's wort, not ale. Again, wort was not thought
of as a beverage. There are also references in some Norse sagas to the
declaration, by a king or chief, of a public festival to comemorate some
great victory or other: preparations usually include both a brewing and
a baking, and again, the ale, or in this case more properly beor, due
to its age, was drunk extremely young: a good, sweet malt flavor and a
rich body were apparently more prized than the beor's capacity for
intoxication.
So, I suspect that the name for freshly pressed cider, in period, is
cider. Fully fermented "hard" cider is cider. Either could be drunk. The
modern concept of apple juice is probably based on terminology created
by industrial apple processors, who might have found it necessary to
distinguish apple juice from cider during Prohibition (1919 - 1933 C.E.,
if I remember correctly).
One interesting aspect of all this is that non-fermented cider is
distinguished, commercially, from apple juice in that apple juice is
filtered. (Yes, sometimes what is sold as cider, usually in gallon glass
jugs around Thanksgiving, is filtered too, but bear with me for a
minute.) Real, fresh cider usually has a fair amount of apple pulp,
giving it a dark brown color. Apple juice, as I say, is usually filtered
until amber-colored and clear. But hard cider is almost invariably
crystal clear, looking a lot like white wine. I suspect what has
happened to the average American's personal taste / judgment criteria
for cider and apple juice is that apple juice must be non-alcoholic,
since alcohol is wicked and all, but it has to look like aged hard
cider, rather than the suspicious cloudy fresh stuff.
Adamantius
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 11:05:26 -0500 (CDT)
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming)
Subject: SC - Re: Syllabub
Greetings! Syllabub is a drink made of cream, wine, and sugar. Some
spices, such as nutmeg, can be added. May, Digby and Fettiplace have
recipes. PPC (Petits Propos Culinaires) had articles about syllabub in
two issues (52 and 53), debating the methods of making it, etc.
According to the first article, Elizabeth David "implies that she knew
of no syllabubs earlier than the 17th century." That would place it,
for the purists, OOP. The discussion about methods of making it came
from having read a recipe where one is supposed to milk the cow
directly into the wine. The author tried it and found that the
syllabub curdled and smelled very bad. The second article, by another
person, went into more methods of making syllabubs, etc. Terribly
interesting if one wanted to make syllabub but probably not worth a
long post here... However, it's just one more reason to subscribe to
PPC if one can afford it! :-)
Alys Katharine
Subject: Re: SC - Cindy Renfrow and Cariadoc of the Bow?
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 09:36:06 -0500
From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
To: stefan at texas.net
A Sip Through Time
by Cindy Renfrow, a.k.a. Mistress Sincgiefu W¾rf¾st
A Sip Through Time contains over 400 authentic, documented period brewing
recipes for ale, beer, mead, metheglin, cider, perry, brandy, liqueurs,
distilled waters, hypocras, wines, caudles, possets, and syllabubs. These
recipes have been drawn from many sources from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and
Rome, Medieval Europe, and 17th, 18th, and 19th century America and Europe.
A Sip Through Time also offers: a helpful appendix identifying the over
200 herbs and fruits called for in the recipes; a list of these plants
which are also used as dye herbs; an annotated bibliography; an extensive
glossary; a complete index; all lavishly illustrated with over 90 beautiful
period woodcuts, and much more.
Specifications:
Title: "A SIP THROUGH TIME, A COLLECTION OF OLD BREWING RECIPES."
Trim size: 6" x 9"
Binding: Perfect binding.
Paging: 335 pages.
Publication Date: Dec. 1995.
First Edition, First Printing: June, 1995; Second Printing: February,
1996; Third Printing: May, 1997.
Library of Congress Registration Number: TX 4-019-890.
ISBN: 0-9628598-3-4.
List Price: $18.00 U.S. Shipping is extra at $2.00 per book (domestic), and $3.00 per book (international).
Shipping: All orders shipped via 4th class book rate unless instructed
otherwise. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.
Publisher & Distributor: Cindy Renfrow, 7 El's Way, Sussex, NJ 07461.
Phone Number: (973) 875-3535. Checks should be made payable to Cindy
Renfrow.
Cindy/Sincgiefu
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 15:39:24 -0800 (PST)
From: Beth Ann Snead <ladypeyton at yahoo.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: cherry wine
> > Were you can turn something to alcohol people tend to, country wines in
> > England have certainly been made for centuries by country folk, Birch sap
> > is certainly documented as being turned into wine, likewise the sour
> > natural varieties if fuits such as sloes, cherries etc.
>
> What is a sloe? I don't think I've seen any recipes for cherry wine.
> Sounds different.
Both the Closet of Kenelme Digby and Martha Washington's Cookbook
(Dated between 1550 and 1625 by the editor despite of the title) have
cherry wine recipes. A Sloe is a berry. I'm not sure what kind but
Sloe-Gin derivers it's color and flavor (that which differs from
regular gin, that is) from the Sloe Berry.
Lady Lettice Peyton,
Journeyman Vinter
EK Brewer's Guild
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 10:23:36 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - OT brewing question
> IIRC, we've discussed Ethiopian Honey Wine at sometime in the past. Can
> anyone lead me to a recipe? Thanks in advance.
> Liandnan (nee Leanna) the proud college graduate!
Try these. There is some information about Tej, including a Mock Tej
recipe. A good vintiner can probably use the information to produce a
decent match. Bear
http://www.wube.net/Recipes9.html
http://cygnus.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Cookbook/Ethiopia.html
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 00:52:02 -0800
From: "James F. Johnson" <seumas at mind.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Romantic Food
WOLFMOMSCA at aol.com wrote:
> FLUMMERY
>
> 1/2 cup single malt scotch
> 1/2 cup oatmeal
> 1/4 cup good quality honey
> 1/4 cup whipping cream
>
> Soak the oatmeal in the whiskey for at least one hour. Combine with the
> honey & whipped cream.
A similar, near exact recipe was given to me years ago, under the name
"Athol Brose." This was a slighty larger recipe:
fifth of scotch
gallon of water
pound of oatmeal
pound of honey
quart of heavy cream
The oats were soaked overnight and the water drained off and reserved.
(The oats were used for anything else, but not for this anymore). Mix
the scotch, oat water, honey and cream.
I soon modified this by increasing the scotch to a half gallon,
dispensing with the water entirely. I soak the oats in the scotch
overnight, strain out oats (and make loverly oatmeal cookies....), mix
in the cream and honey. This seems to have a similar strength to Irish
cream (I describe it as a Scotch version of such) and keeps
refridgerated for months, perhaps longer if it wasn't consumed sooner,
despite making about a gallon of such.
Seumas
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 15:27:06 -0400
From: "Nelson.Beth" <Nelson.Beth at EPCRA.org>
Subject: Re: SC - icelandic sour Dough?
>I could use some mead myself! Who was it that had the bottle of scotch
>around wondering what to do with it?
>
>'Lainie
That was me Lainie, and the verdict was to make a small batch of the Athol
Brose to see if I liked it and then I would have the rest of the bottle
left. So I used the Flummery recipe posted, soaked the oatmeal overnight
and then pulled the oatmeal out. I mixed the rest of the ingredients and
volia. It was still a little strong for my taste (don't like strong flavors
until I get used to them) so I ended up adding the rest of the =BD pint of
cream. I liked this combination so much I am thinking about making some
more, but I have promised the rest of the bottle is going to Siege of
Glengary. If anyone is going to make that event, look me up and you can
share.
Tonight I am planning on making cookies with the oatmeal for camping this
weekend.
Orlaith
>FLUMMERY
>
>1/2 cup single malt scotch
>1/2 cup oatmeal
>1/4 cup good quality honey
>1/4 cup whipping cream
>
>Soak the oatmeal in the whiskey for at least one hour. Combine with the
>honey & whipped cream.
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 14:17:49 -0500
From: "Mark.S Harris" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>
Subject: SC - Some more syllabub info
Someone was looking for information on period syllabubs. Here is some
info that may prove useful. This is on p73 of the _Hypocras, Caudels
and Possets_ chapter, written by Moria Buxton in _Liquid Nourishment_
in the Food and Society series edited by C. Anne Wilson:
Rich Possets were first cousins to the early syllabubs,
though syllabubs were always cold and possets should never
be chilled. In the sixteenth century early syllabubs were
simply made from milk or cream squirted with force into a
bowl of wine; later they developed into whipped syllabubs
where cream and wine and flavoring were beaten together,
and the froth taken off in spoonfuls and left to drain in its
pot (rather like an uncurded posset); and later still developed
into set syllabubs which bore more resemblance to our final
drink, the caudel.
Lord Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 05:59:05 -0500
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Christmas Dinner and Gifts/Fig Brandy
> Check out "Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book; Elizabethan Country
> House Cooking" Hilary Spurling, ISBN 0-670-81592-6, page 170 with regard
> to Ratafia the making there of.
>
> Daniel Raoul le Vascon de Navarre' called many things by many people
> but by the English, Leadenpenny.
Ratafia! Ugh, what a wonderful example of a medicinal that never should
have been used as a beverage! A lady made some for my late husband (it
outlasted him, but was not the cause...) and it would cure what ails you,
if just to not have to drink any more of it. I'm glad to know there is a
relatively period recipe for it, but I was under the impression it was a
Spanish brew, probably because the lady who made it for us was Cuban.
Christianna
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 00:41:14 +0100
From: Thomas Gloning <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>
Subject: SC - Rauwolf 1582: on Water, coffee, wine & other (alcoholic) beverages in Aleppo (long)
Leonhart Rauwolf is -- among other things -- famous for his description
of coffee drinking in the Middle East in 1582. His description is part
of the description of a bazar in Aleppo. In this very chapter, he
describes the use of other beverages too. In the light of some of our
recent threads on water, coffee and Islamic alcohol, I should like to
quote a few pages from the Aleppo-chapter of Rauwolf. [The electronic
version of this chapter was prepared by Diana Chtaiki, who also brought
an early 17th century Couscous-report to my attention].
Alas, I have not the time to translate the whole passage. But here are
some short paraphrases of the sections marked with the respective
headings in the text.
- -- WATER: There are people at bazars giving water to other people as a
charitable act. It is polite to join people drinking water so that there
are kind of "chains" of water-drinkers.
- -- COFFEE: there are boutiques where you can drink coffee; people drink
coffee very hot; they use special drinking cups; they drink coffee
"together", as a social act, giving the coffee from one to another; they
believe that coffee has medical advantages too, especially for the
stomach; in preparing coffee, they use "bunno" that can be traced back
to Avicenna and Rhazes.
- -- WINE CONSUMPTION: normally wine is forbidden to Muslims; but at
times, it was allowed by some Sultan; then Muslims used to drink alcohol
in a very uncontrolled manner; at other times to drink wine was punished
severely (anecdotes are given as example). In times when wine is
forbidden for Muslims, wine is cheaper for Christians there.
- -- OTHER USES OF GRAPES; OTHER BEVERAGES; there are other uses of wine
grapes, including those for several kinds of sweet beverages; they also
use a kind of beer, that makes them extremely happy at times. They drink
some of their beverages "on ice".
Please, do not rely on my hasty paraphrases very much; I am in a hurry.
Here is the text (cheers, Thomas):
[PEOPLE GIVING WATER TO OTHER PEOPLE AT THE BAZARS]
Weitter gehn auch vil vnder dem getreng jhrer Ordensleüt/ Sacquatz
genannt (so mehrthails Pilgram/ die zu:o Mecha gewesen) mit schleüchen
vol wassers herumb/ au? lieb allen vnnd jeden/ auch den Christen/ so
dessen begeren (weil der Wein in jrem Alcoran den Mahometische{n}
verbotten) trincken zu:ogeben: daher dann deren hin vnnd wider nit wenig
seind/ die in jhrem sondern habit (au? andacht dahin beweget) sich vnder
dem Volck den gantzen tag finden/ ein werck der liebe vnnd
barmhertzigkeit gegen den durstigen zuu:eben. Dise haben in der einen
hand hüpsche verguldte Schalen/ darein sie au? den schleuchen das wasser
lassen: vnnd haben gemainklich in denselbigen ligen/ scho:ene
Chalcedonier, Iaspides etc. zu:o zeiten auch kostliche <<102>>
geschmache Früchten/ das Wasser frisch zu:obehalten/ vnnd darzu:o dem
Volck ein lust zu:omachen. Wanns einem darau? zu:otrincken geben/
bietens jhme darneben auch einen Spiegel/ mit der ermanung/ das er sich
darinnen ersehe/ vnd darbey auch de? Todes erinnere: für dise
gu:otwilligkeit vnd trewen dienst/ begeren sie nichts/ wirt jnen aber
etwas au? freyem willen/ so nemmen sie es zu:o danck an/ vnd sprützen
al?bald darfür dem jhenigen (jr danckbar gemu:et zuerzaigen) das
angesicht vnd den bart/ mit einem wolriechenden wasser/ welches sie in
gle?lein au? grossen Taschen/ mit vil Me?ing spangen beschlagen/ herfür
ziehen. Also halten die Türcken vnnd Arabes das auch für ein grosses
werck der Barmhertzigkeit vnnd liebe/ wann sie jhre Marmelstainine
tro:eg/ vnd jrdine grosse ha:efen/ so hin vnd wider aussen an den
Heüsern stehn/ ta:eglich lassen mit frischem Wasser einfüllen/ damit
wandersleüt/ vnd die jhenige alle/ so durstig seind/ den durst im
fürüber gehn/ lo:eschen ko:enden. Darin{n}en hangen kleine Kesselein/
au? denen man trinckt. Wann dann jren einer anfangt/ gehn andere mehr/
so jhn ersehen/ hinzu:o/ trincken auch/ offt mehr anderen zugefallen/
dann au? durst. Also findet man zu:o zeiten vber einem Hafen/ bald ein
gantze rott beysamen stehn/ gleich wie der Hund/ die einander in der
spür nachgehn:
[DRINKING COFFEE]
hat einer ferrner lust/ darzu:o ettwas zuessen/ oder ein anders getranck
zu:o trincken/ so habens gemainklich darbey auch weitte offne La:eden/
darinnen sie sich zusamen auff die Erden/ oder das Pfletz setzen/ vnd
mit einander zechen. Vnder andern habens ein gu:ot getra:enck/ welliches
sie hoch halten/ Chaube von jnen genen{n}et/ das ist gar nahe wie Dinten
so schwartz/ vnnd in gebresten/ sonderlich des Magens/ gar dienstlich.
Dises pflegens am Morgen fru:e/ auch an offnen orten/ vor <<103>>
jedermenigklich one alles abscheuhen zutrincken/ au? jrdinen vnnd
Porcellanischen tieffen Scha:elein/ so warm/ al? sies ko:enden erleiden/
setzend offt an/ thond aber kleine trincklein/ vnd lassens gleich
weitter/ wie sie neben einander im kray? sitzen/ herumb gehn. Zu:o dem
wasser nem{m}en sie frücht Bunnu von jnnwohnern genennet/ die aussen in
jrer gro:esse vnd farb/ schier wie die Lorbeer/ mit zway dünne{n}
scho:elflein vmbgeben/ anzu:osehen/ vnnd ferrner jhrem alten berichten
nach/ au? India gebracht werden. Wie aber die an jn selb ring seind/
vnnd innen zwen gelblechte ko:erner in zwayen heü?lein vnderschidlich
verschlossen haben: zu:o dem das sie auch mit jhrer würckung/ dem namen
vnnd ansehen nach/ dem Buncho Auic: vnd Bunca Rhasis ad Almans. gantz
ehnlich/ halte ichs darfür/ so lang/ bi? ich von gelehrten ein besseren
bericht einnemme. Dises tranck ist bey jhnen sehr gemain/ darumb dann
deren/ so da solches au?schencken/ wie auch der Kra:emer/ so die frücht
verkauffen/ im Batzar hin vnd wider nit wenig zu:ofinden: Zu:o dem/ so
haltens das auch wol so hoch vnnd gesund sein/ al? wir bey vns jrgend
den Wermu:otwein/ oder noch andere Kreüterwein etc.
[WINE CONSUMPTION]
gleichwol aber nemmens noch darfür den Wein an/ wann sie do:erfften jres
gesetzes halb/ wie man dann wol vnder dem Kayser Selymo gesehen/ da er
jnen den Wein vergünstiget vnd zu:ogelassen/ wie sie jhn haben
getruncken/ das sie nemlich ta:eglich zu:osamen kommen/ vnd wanns in
zechen bey einander gesessen/ einer dem andern nit nur ein gla? oder
zway vol vngemischten starcken Weins/ sonder 4 in 5 der Kelchlein zumal/
wie jnen die von Venedig zukom{m}en/ haben au?gebracht/ auch die so bald
vnd mit solcher begürde auff einander au?getruncke{n}/ das sie jnen (wie
ichs zu mehrmalen gesehen) nit souil weil genommen/ darzwischen ein
<<104>> bissen oder etlich zu:o essen. Werden also/ wie zugedencken/
bald truncken/ vnnd darneben so sa:ewisch/ das sie es nun mehr vil
anderen Nationen beuor thon. Nach dem aber Selymus mit todt abgangen/
vnnd sein Sun Amurathes an sein statt in das Regiment getretten/ hat er
den Wein widerumb bald/ im eingang ein zeitlang ernstlich verbotten/
vnnd darzu:o auch starck darob gehalten/ also auch/ da? die jenige/ von
denen der geruch nur gangen/ bald seind gefencklich eingezogen/ jrer
a:empter entsetzt/ vnd hart darzu:o vmb gelt/ jrem vermo:egen nach/ oder
inn mangel desselben/ mit vilen straichen auff die fu:o?solen/
gestraffet worden. Weil nun das gebott wehret/ begab sichs auff ein
zeit/ das dem Bascha zu:o Halepo im Hof/ al? er wolt au?gehn/ seiner
Diener einer begegnet/ der zimlich truncken ward: al? er befande/ das
diser al? ein voller schwanckete/ hat er gleich sein Sebel au?gezogen/
vnd jme den kopff vom leib hinweck gehawen/ das er da gleich auff der
stett ligen bliben. Ob aber schon dem also/ vnnd jhnen der Wein hoch
verbotten/ keren sie sich gleichwol/ sonderlich die Mamalucken (nach dem
sie dessen nun mehr zimlich gewonet) nit allein nit daran/ sonder
bekommen noch vmb souil mehr gro:essere begürde darzu:o/ fangen
de?halben haimlich an/ beym tag/ wie die Omay?en zu:o Sommers zeiten
einzu:otragen/ vnnd gu:ote fürsehung zuthu:on/ auff da? sie/ wann die
Nacht anbricht/ zusamen kommen/ vnnd jhr zech bald anfangen ko:enden/
damit sie den wein widerumb mo:egen au?schlaffen/ das er jhnen zu
Morgens nit angespüret werde. Jnn der zeit/ weil jhnen der Wein wider
verboten gewest/ hatten wir Christen wol vil ein besseren vnnd
wolfayleren Weinkauff/ so lang/ bi? er jhnen hernacher widerumb
zu:otrincken ist erlaubet worden. Jre Wein seind mehrthails <<105>>
rotfarb/ gar gu:ot vnd lieblich zu:otrincken/ fassens sonderlich in
La:eglen vnnd Schleuche. Sie werden darinnen von mehr orten gen Halepo
gebracht/ fürnemlich aber au? der gegne der namhafften Statt Nisis, die
zwo tagraysen ferrner an der Grentzen Armeniæ ligt. Das also die
schleuche noch heutigs tags sehr gebreuchig bey jnen/ wie sie bey den
alten gewesen. Darumb dann der Herr Christus selb deren in seinen
gleichnussen gedacht/ al? Matth. am 9. Cap. Da er also daruon redt vnd
spricht. Man fasset nit Most in alte schleuche etc. Nach dem aber den
Christen der Wein zu:otrincken erlaubt/ wirt dessen auch am maisten bey
jhnen zu:okauffen gefunden/ al? solchen/ die hin vnnd wider gantze
flecken bewonen/ vnnd darbey jhren sonderen Weinwachs haben.
[OTHER USES OF GRAPES OF WINE; OTHER SORTS OF DRINKS]
Die Türcken aber/ weil jhnen der hergegen widerumb nach vermo:eg jhres
gesetzes verbotten/ bawen sein dester minder/ vnnd richten die Weinbeer
mehr auff andere weisen zu:o: al? etliche lassens zu:o Cibeben werden/
fürnemlich aber die jenige/ so zu:o vnd vmb Damasco wohnen/ bey denen
auch bald der besten zufinden: etliche andere aber/ machen au? dem Most
gesa:efft/ wie Ho:enig so dick/ von jn{n}wohnern Pachmatz genennet.
Sonderlich aber vnnd am allermaisten/ die zu:o Andeb einem Sta:ettlein/
zwischen Bir vnnd Nisib ligend. Daselbsten sie de? gesaffts zwayerlay
sorten haben/ einen der dünn/ vn{d} noch ein andern der zimlich dick/
wellicher auch besser/ de?halben sie den in kleine fa:e?lein/ weiter
zuuerschicken/ einmachen: den dünnern aber al? den geringern/
verbrauchen sie selbs/ machen den thails mit wasser an/ jhren Knechten
wie ein Iulep zu:otrincken: ain andern thail setzens in kleinen
Scha:elein für richten auff/ mit Brot wie Honig zu:oessen. Ausser disen
habens andere noch mehr su:esse getra:enck/ die sie zu:orichten/ al?
<<106>> von roten Brustbeerlein/ (Cibeben, welches getra:enck die
jnnwohner/ so die im wasser mit wenig Ho:enig werden abgesotten/ Hassaph
nennent:) Erbsichbeerlein/ welliche sie noch vnder dem alten namen
Berberis, mit hauffen vom Gebürge Libani herab bringen. Vnder anderen
Trancken habens sonderlich eins Tscherbeth genennet/ das mit Honig
abgesotten/ schier wie bey vns der Meth zutrincke{n}.
[SORT OF BEER?]
Mehr noch ein anders/ welliches au? Gersten/ oder Waytzen etc.
zu:ogericht wirt/ von alten Zythum vnd Curmi genennet. Von disen zway
jetzt erzelten/ werden zu:o zeiten die Türcken so fro:elich vnd
leichtsinnig/ das sie auch darbey wie vnsere Bauren beym Bier/ mit
lauter stimm anfangen in jre Schalmeyen/ Zincken vnd Paucken (wie jhre
Spilleüt zu:o Morgens/ wann die Wacht auff vnd ab zeucht/ darauff blasen
vnnd schlagen) zu:o singen. Dise getra:enck alle schenckens/ fürnemlich
in grossen Batzaren au?/ vnnd haben darneben auff jren La:eden den
gantzen Sommer durch/ grosse stuck schnee stehn/ daruon sie souil inn
die getra:enck werffen/ das sie einen an die zeen fro:eren. Souil hab
ich kürtzlich von jren getra:encken wo:ellen vermelden.
[END OF BEVERAGE SECTION; BEGIN OF FOOD SECTION]
Belangend die Speysen/ ist erstlich jr Brot krefftig (...)
Source: Leonharti Rauwolfen ... Aigentliche beschreibung der Rai?/ so er
... inn die Morgenländer ... selbs volbracht. Lauingen (L. Reinmichel)
1582, p. 101ff.
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 23:44:48 -0500
From: Christine A Seelye-King <mermayde at juno.com>
Subject: SC - Root Beer
> BTW, could someone please clear up for me what is meant in the
> States by "root beer"? I have rather taken it to mean "sasparilla"
> while my Lady contends that it is "ginger beer". Given that it was
> on a suggested list of possibles for taking to a pot luck, I have a
> nasty feeling that she is right.
>
> Gwynydd of Culloden, Ynys Fawr, Lochac, Kingdom of the West
Here is a post from a wonderful book, that deals with some beverage
recipes that probably date from Colonial America.
Christianna
The following recipies come from _Back to Basics_, a Reader's Digest
book.
Hay time Switchel.
Switchel is a refreshing, energy-boosting drink used by farmhands to slake
their thirsts during the heavy work of harvest season. Jugs of switchel
were kept cool by hanging them in a well or springhouse.
2 cups sugar 1sp. ground ginger
1 cup molasses 1 gal. water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Heat ingredients in 1 qt water until dissolved, then add the remaining
water. Chill and serve.
Ginger Beer
Root beer, ginger beer, lemon beer, and similar drinks had little or no
alcoholic content. Fermented briefly with bread yeast, they were bottled
and stored; the fermentation served to make them fizzy. Old-fashioned root
beer is difficult to make because of the rarity of its ingredients: spice
wood, prickly ash, and guaiacum, to name a few. The ginger beer given
here is adopted from a Mormon recipe for Spanish gingerette.
4 oz. dried gingerroot 1 packet active dry yeast
1 gal. water 1/2 lb. sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
Pound the gingerroot to bruise it, then boil in 1/2 gal water for about 20
minutes. Remove from stove and set aside. Mix lemon juice and packet of
dry yeast in a cup of warm water, and add to water with gingerroot. Pour
in remaining water, and let mixture sit for 24 hours. Strain out the root
and stir in sugar. Bottle and place in refridgerator. Do not store at
room temperature; bottles may explode.
Comments: I turned a batch into alcohol once--I forgot to bottle it the
next day, and by the time I remembered, it was too late. This has a
stronger "bite" than commercial ginger ale. My neighbor in CA was from
Trinidad, and she told me this recipie tasted just like a traditional one
they drank at Christmas/New Years.
Melandra of the Woods
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 00:06:46 +0200
From: Thomas Gloning <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>
Subject: SC - Brussels sprouts, Rosenkohl // What is "Tyffan"? // Bohemian cookbook 1591?
<snip of Brussels sprouts info - See vegetables-msg>
***
Now, to come not wholly with empty hands to those of you interested in
pre-1600 food and beverages: here is a recipe from "The good huswifes
handmaide for the kitchen", c.1594. I must confess, that I did not find
out up to now what a "Tyffan" is. In any case, one must "drinke of it in
the morning warme". Wasn't there a thread (some hundred digests
earlier), whether or not there are warm drinks of some sort?
"To make a Tyffan
Take a pint of Barley beeing picked, sprinkled with faire
water, so put it in a faire stone morter, and with your
pestell rub the barley, and that will make it tuske, then
picke out the barley from the huskes, and set your barley
on the fyre in a gallon of faire water, so let it seeth
til it come to a pottle. Then put into your water,
Succory, Endive, Cinkefoyle, Violet leaves, of each one
handfull, one ounce of Anniseed, one ounce of Liquoris
bruised, and thirtie great raisons, so let all this geare
seeth til it come to a quart: then take it off, let it
stand and settle, and so take of the clearest of it, and
let it be strained, and when you have strained the
clearest of it, the let it stand a good pretie while.
Then put in foure whites of Egs al to beaten, shels and
all, then stir it ell together, so set it on the fyre
againe, let it seeth, and ever as the scum doth rise take
it off, and so let it seeth a while: then let it run
through a strainer or an Ipocras bagge, and drinke of it
in the morning warme."
(Source: The good huswifes handmaide, c.1594, ed. Peachey, p.51).
***
Firpo, in his 'Gastronomia del Rinascimento', 1974, p. 182 mentions:
- -- Kucharska neb' Kucharstwi. Praze 1591.
This could be a pre-1600 Bohemian cookbook. Did anybody see it?
More questions than answers. Sigh.
Thomas
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:32:30 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius"
<adamantius.magister at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] viking food and fall fruit
To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Also sprach Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise:
>I'm thinking about drinks, and I'd say maybe barley water as the closest
>to small beer? Maybe a honey drink to resemble small mead?
Were you present at Southern Region War Camp for the discussion on
unusual beverages for SCA use? Seeing as it is a Viking-ish event,
you might make a simple "tea" out of malt (in which case you'd have
to mash and rack it) or malt extract (in which case you would not),
suitably flavored with herbs. I'm sure between you and, say, John
Marshall, you could come up with a nice flavoring gruit. Maybe
something with sage.
This drink is known as ale (or rather, ol). While it should be
fermented, it is also spoken of in sagas as being drunk on the same
day it is mashed, so drinking it flat and unfermented would not be
much of a stretch at all. If you're not fermenting the stuff, and
just using malt to flavor and add a little body to the water (which
will then taste just a tad like Arizona Iced Tea), even using malt
extract would be well within your budget, I suspect.
I don't have a lot of details available on this, but it's basically
a matter of stirring ingredients together and chilling the result a
little. I can probably figure out a recipe if you need real
details... but the drink would be, in substance, a pretty darned
period-appropriate solution, and for those that like malt, a tasty
one (most brewers taste the wort before pitching the yeast anyway).
Adamantius
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 15:12:41 -0800
From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Drinks at feasts (was: what's wierd-ish, what
isn't)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> While sekanjabin may be period for Islamic personas, it really isn't
> for the majority of Europe throughout most of medieval history. I
> personally find it just as out of place as iced tea at feasts with a
> nothern European menu.
I believe Platina mentions oxymel, which ought to be something
similar. It might be worth some looking to see if some sort of
sweet+vinegar+water drink was used in parts of non-islamic Europe in
our period.
Has anyone experimented with watered wine? My impression is that it
was the norm through much of classical antiquity, and still common in
our period, but I haven't really looked into the question. If watered
enough, it gives a lemonade equivalent--flavored water.
--
David/Cariadoc
www.daviddfriedman.com
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 18:30:17 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sugar Cane
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Arrack was originally a wine fermented from date palm sap that later in its
long life was distilled to produce a brandy. More recently it has been
fermented from other palm sap, rice and molasses. The word derives from the
Arabic "araq," meaning sweet juice. The date palm brandy would be "araq
at-tamr," according to the quick ref.
Sugarcane and palm sap wines are fairly common across Southern Asia, but
there is not much out there on when they started being produced. I would
bet on the Neolithic.
Distillation is a trickier matter. The earliest you would likely see it is
around 800 CE due to Arab improvements in the still. The earliest evidence
for distillation of high proof alcohol is linked to the University of
Montpellier about 1300.
Bear
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