1939 The Gentleman's Companion volume II Beeing an Exotic Drinking Book

THE EXOTIC DRINKING BOOK

Put ingredients in ja,r, cover with rye, and stand for a fortnight. Strain out spices through fine cloth or filter paper. Put back on fruit until needed. To serve: Cut spiral orange rind, also one spiral lemon rind, put in whisky glass, and pour liquor over.... Can be served hot with ex– cellent effect to fight off colds, influenzas, miasmas, megrims, swamp mists, and blackwater fevers. In fact any sort of excuse seems to work. ENGLISH MEAD, from THREE VERY OLD RECEIPTS Far back in the dim past when thick-armed giant Saxon kings dined in raftered halls, with flaxen-haired ladies below the salt, at the lower tables, mead has been drunk in England. Huge horns washed down haunches of venison, and the bones were tossed over shoulder to the stag-hounds clamouring on the rush-strewn floors. Then more flagons were brought, the minstrels sang, the cooking fires were poked up so that sparks flew upward through the murky rafters, and another haunch of deer meat was skewered on the black iron spit. The Saxons were mighty men, mighty in battle, mighty with food trencher and wassail bow 1.

OLD ENGLISH MEAD No. I, the CoTIAGER's DELIGHT From a receipt dated 1677 Strained honey, 2 cups Water, 4 quarts; rain water or spring water is best

Yeast, Yz cake spread on bit of toast, Boating; or l tsp of brewer's (Or l oz compressed baker's yeast) Egg, whites 2, beaten well

Sugar, brown or white, Yz cup Lemon, peel, l chopped fine; and JUICe l

Mix honey, water a'nd sugar; add eggs, simmering slowly. When scum stops forming, add lemon peel, juice; and yeast when it has be– come just lukewarm. Stand.in a crock in a warm spot until it stops working, then bottle as we would beer-either with caps or corks, tied down for luck. . 167 .