1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

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CHAPTER 111

DRINKS ANCIENT AND MODERN

TheWhitaker of the period—France without wine—Babylonian boozers—Beer discovered bythe Egyptians—A glass of bitter for Cleopatra—Brainless Persians—German sots—Turning the tables—Intemperance in theNorth Chinese intoxicants Nature of Sack—Mead and morat—Vinous metheglin— Favourite tipple of theAncient Britons—Braggonet—Birch- wine— "The invariable" of FalstafF—A recipe by Sir Walter Raleigh —Saragossa wine—Usquebaugh—Clary— Apricock wine. Pliny—whose works contain almost as much general information as Whitaker s Almanack— tells us that the western nations got drunk with certain liquors made with fruits ; and that those liquors have different names in Gaul and Spain, though they produce the same effect. Ammianus Marcellinus reports that "the Gauls having no wine in their country" —only fancy what a country France must have been to live in with out champagne and claret, not to mention burgundy and cider—" though they are very fond of it, contrive a great many sorts of liquors which produce the same effect as wine.' The Scythians, too, had no wine, but got " for'ard "