Honeyed Wine Cut with Water (oinos kai meli)
A red wine lengthened with fresh water and sweetened with a touch of honey, perfumed with a hint of mild spices. The civilized drink of the Greek banquet, shared from the krater.
A red wine lengthened with fresh water and sweetened with a touch of honey, perfumed with a hint of mild spices. The civilized drink of the Greek banquet, shared from the krater.
Now that the dishes are cleared, comes the moment I love best: the krater is brought in. Never, mark me, do we drink wine neat like barbarians — that would offend Dionysus and lose our wits. We cut it with water, three measures of water to one of wine, and melt a little honey into it to soften it. This is the cup of friendship: drink it slowly, and let your tongue loosen for song.
- •Red wine — one measure (base)
- •Spring water — two to three measures (dilution)
- •Honey — a dash (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon or sweet resin — a pinch (perfume (optional))
Honeyed Wine Cut with Water (oinos kai meli)
A red wine lengthened with fresh water and sweetened with a touch of honey, perfumed with a hint of mild spices. The civilized drink of the Greek banquet, shared from the krater.
Why this dish? No Greek banquet, and therefore no royal table like that of Cepheus, ended without the symposion. Wine was never drunk neat: it was mixed with water in the krater, sometimes sweetened with honey — the drink of hospitality and of Andromeda's wedding feast.
Now that the dishes are cleared, comes the moment I love best: the krater is brought in. Never, mark me, do we drink wine neat like barbarians — that would offend Dionysus and lose our wits. We cut it with water, three measures of water to one of wine, and melt a little honey into it to soften it. This is the cup of friendship: drink it slowly, and let your tongue loosen for song.
Ingredients (period version)
- Red wine — one measure (base)
- Spring water — two to three measures (dilution)
- Honey — a dash (sweetness)
- Cinnamon or sweet resin — a pinch (perfume (optional))
Ingredients
- Fruity red wine — 250 ml (base)
- Fresh water — 500 ml (dilution)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick or a zest — 1 pinch / 1 zest (optional perfume)
Method
- Gently warm a small portion of the wine and dissolve the honey in it.
- Pour this mixture into a pitcher (the 'krater') with the rest of the wine.
- Lengthen with fresh water, tasting to adjust the ratio (light wine, never heady).
- Add, if desired, a hint of cinnamon or a zest for perfume.
- Serve well chilled in shallow cups, to share.
How it was made : Drinking wine neat was considered barbaric; Greeks always mixed it with water in a large vessel called a krater, in proportions debated by the guests. Honey was used to sweeten harsh wines, and the mixture was central to the symposion.
The contemporary twist : Non-alcoholic version possible with red grape juice lengthened with sparkling water and honey — a family-friendly 'Cup of Andromeda'.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists (on wine mixing) · Homer, Odyssey (banquet and wine-mixing rites)
Andromeda · Charactorium
