flipSpiced Honey Wine
Spiced Honey Wine
Why this dish? Berthe had traveled through Italy to Pavia, through which Eastern spices transited. This wine warmed with honey and aromatics—ancestor of hypocras—closed the feasts of the great and warmed the evenings of the palace on the Île de la Cité; offering it displayed one's wealth in pepper and cinnamon.
Sweet wine infused with honey, cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of pepper, then strained through cloth until clear: the spiced and sweetened beverage that concluded noble meals.
Before the table is cleared, pass around the piment: this wine I have heated with honey from our hives, cinnamon and ginger from so far away via Pavia. Taste how the spice spreads its warmth—this is a queen's drink, not a commoner's. We strain it through cloth again and again until it is clear as ruby; only then is it worthy to be drunk to my health and the salvation of my soul.
- •Wine — a pitcher (base of the beverage)
- •Honey — two good spoonfuls (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon stick — a piece (signature spice)
- •Ginger — a pinch (warmth)
- •Pepper — a few grains (noble pungency)
- •Saffron — a few threads (optional) (color and fragrance)
Spiced Honey Wine
Sweet wine infused with honey, cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of pepper, then strained through cloth until clear: the spiced and sweetened beverage that concluded noble meals.
Why this dish? Berthe had traveled through Italy to Pavia, through which Eastern spices transited. This wine warmed with honey and aromatics—ancestor of hypocras—closed the feasts of the great and warmed the evenings of the palace on the Île de la Cité; offering it displayed one's wealth in pepper and cinnamon.
Before the table is cleared, pass around the piment: this wine I have heated with honey from our hives, cinnamon and ginger from so far away via Pavia. Taste how the spice spreads its warmth—this is a queen's drink, not a commoner's. We strain it through cloth again and again until it is clear as ruby; only then is it worthy to be drunk to my health and the salvation of my soul.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wine — a pitcher (base of the beverage)
- Honey — two good spoonfuls (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick — a piece (signature spice)
- Ginger — a pinch (warmth)
- Pepper — a few grains (noble pungency)
- Saffron — a few threads (optional) (color and fragrance)
Ingredients
- Fruity red wine (or grape juice for non-alcoholic) — 750 ml (base)
- Honey — 4 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon — 1 stick (signature spice)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (warmth)
- Black peppercorns — 4 (pungency)
- Saffron — 1 small pinch (optional) (color)
Method
- Pour the wine (or grape juice) into a saucepan with the honey.
- Add the cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, and saffron.
- Heat gently without boiling, then let infuse off the heat for 20 to 30 min.
- Strain through a fine cloth (twice for a very clear beverage).
- Serve warm in small cups, at the end of the meal.
How it was made : Spiced and honeyed wines, called 'piment' or 'claré' in the early Middle Ages, preceded the later 'hypocras'. They were clarified by passing them several times through a cloth bag, the 'sleeve of Hippocrates', from which the name 'hypocras' derives.
The contemporary twist : Family-friendly non-alcoholic version with grape juice, served warm in handled cups, like a medieval winter treat.
Berthe de Bourgogne · Charactorium
