ROMAN BEVERAGES
by Magistra Rosemounde of Mercia & Mistress Maysun (Copyright Micaela Burnham and Missy Pankake, 2000)
The Romans enjoyed a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, especially wines. The Romans manufactured red wine in large quantities, which was, by all accounts, terrible. It was described as sour to the point of being vinegar. As a result, the native Roman wines were usually flavored and sweetened to make them drinkable. Although imported wines were generally of better quality, they were also frequently flavored, either when consumed or before being shipped (this may have helped them travel better). Below are some receipes for flavored wines and non-alcoholic beverages that we substituted for flavored wines at a Roman feast.
By far the most common beverage in Rome was mulsam. This is a red wine sweetened with honey and watered down to dilute the alcohol. It is easy to make and travels well.
Mulsam
1 5th of cheap red wine (burgundy is good)
2 cup honey
1 cup water
Heat the water and honey, stirring until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in wine. Bring to room temperature and bottle. Tastes great, travels well, and keeps virtually forever.
The following is a simple flavored white grape juice with an alcoholic version included.
Vin Blanc
1 12 oz. can white grape juice
3-4 cans of water (according to package directions)
10 oz. chopped raisins
Mix the juice and water. Stir in the raisins. Refrigerate at least overnight. Strain out the raisins and bottle. [For an alcoholic version: substitute 1 5th bottle of cheap white wine (chablis blanc is good) for the juice and water. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the raisins and proceed as before.]
Adding herbs to wine was a common Roman practice. Some of these herbed wines were believed to be medicinal, others just tasty. This simple version for red grape juice also includes an alcoholic version.
Conditum Paradoxum
1 12 oz. can red grape juice
4-5 cans water (1 more than package directions)
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
Mix the juice and water. Stir in the herbs. Refrigerate overnight. Bottle. [Alcoholic version: Substitute 1 5th cheap red wine (burgundy) for the juice and water. Add 1 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add herbs and proceed as above.]
It is believed that the Romans had a form of distillation that produced alcohol in a stronger concentration than was available through fermentation alone by boiling wine in a covered pot. It was not the form of distillation we have today (which was invented by an Arab alchemist sometime in the 12th century), and did not produce as strong a concentration of alcohol as one would find in late period cordials. The Romans did have cordial type beverages that were served as medicinals or as digestives at the end of a meal. They could be of a boiled wine, a flavored undoctored wine, or non-alcoholic. Here is a non-alcoholic version of one of those. [No alcoholic version yet exists (we're working on it), but we were thinking a white brandy diluted with apple juice, with ground almonds and cinnamon stick soaked in it for about a week. If anyone tries this, let us know how it comes out.]
Amygdala et malum
1 can frozen apple juice
4 cans water (follow package directions)
2 tsp. almond extract
1 cinnamon stick, broken up
Mix the juice and water. Stir in extract and add cinnamon stick. Let it sit over night, chilled. Skim out cinnamon stick. Bottle.
Please keep in mind that the non-alcoholic versions of these beverages must be kept refrigerated or they will ferment on their own from wild yeast. Hope you enjoy them.
Bibliography
Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome, Apicius
Roman Life, Mary Johnston
A Taste of Ancient Rome, Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa
De Medicina et de Virtute Herbarum, Gargilius Martialis
by Magistra Rosemounde of Mercia & Mistress Maysun (Copyright Micaela Burnham and Missy Pankake, 2000)
The Romans enjoyed a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, especially wines. The Romans manufactured red wine in large quantities, which was, by all accounts, terrible. It was described as sour to the point of being vinegar. As a result, the native Roman wines were usually flavored and sweetened to make them drinkable. Although imported wines were generally of better quality, they were also frequently flavored, either when consumed or before being shipped (this may have helped them travel better). Below are some receipes for flavored wines and non-alcoholic beverages that we substituted for flavored wines at a Roman feast.
By far the most common beverage in Rome was mulsam. This is a red wine sweetened with honey and watered down to dilute the alcohol. It is easy to make and travels well.
Mulsam
1 5th of cheap red wine (burgundy is good)
2 cup honey
1 cup water
Heat the water and honey, stirring until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in wine. Bring to room temperature and bottle. Tastes great, travels well, and keeps virtually forever.
The following is a simple flavored white grape juice with an alcoholic version included.
Vin Blanc
1 12 oz. can white grape juice
3-4 cans of water (according to package directions)
10 oz. chopped raisins
Mix the juice and water. Stir in the raisins. Refrigerate at least overnight. Strain out the raisins and bottle. [For an alcoholic version: substitute 1 5th bottle of cheap white wine (chablis blanc is good) for the juice and water. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the raisins and proceed as before.]
Adding herbs to wine was a common Roman practice. Some of these herbed wines were believed to be medicinal, others just tasty. This simple version for red grape juice also includes an alcoholic version.
Conditum Paradoxum
1 12 oz. can red grape juice
4-5 cans water (1 more than package directions)
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
Mix the juice and water. Stir in the herbs. Refrigerate overnight. Bottle. [Alcoholic version: Substitute 1 5th cheap red wine (burgundy) for the juice and water. Add 1 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add herbs and proceed as above.]
It is believed that the Romans had a form of distillation that produced alcohol in a stronger concentration than was available through fermentation alone by boiling wine in a covered pot. It was not the form of distillation we have today (which was invented by an Arab alchemist sometime in the 12th century), and did not produce as strong a concentration of alcohol as one would find in late period cordials. The Romans did have cordial type beverages that were served as medicinals or as digestives at the end of a meal. They could be of a boiled wine, a flavored undoctored wine, or non-alcoholic. Here is a non-alcoholic version of one of those. [No alcoholic version yet exists (we're working on it), but we were thinking a white brandy diluted with apple juice, with ground almonds and cinnamon stick soaked in it for about a week. If anyone tries this, let us know how it comes out.]
Amygdala et malum
1 can frozen apple juice
4 cans water (follow package directions)
2 tsp. almond extract
1 cinnamon stick, broken up
Mix the juice and water. Stir in extract and add cinnamon stick. Let it sit over night, chilled. Skim out cinnamon stick. Bottle.
Please keep in mind that the non-alcoholic versions of these beverages must be kept refrigerated or they will ferment on their own from wild yeast. Hope you enjoy them.
Bibliography
Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome, Apicius
Roman Life, Mary Johnston
A Taste of Ancient Rome, Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa
De Medicina et de Virtute Herbarum, Gargilius Martialis