Melikraton, the Wine of Ogygia Sweetened with Honey
Red wine mixed with spring water and bound with honey, perfumed with a hint of thyme, served at room temperature. A symposion drink, sweet and lively at once, where honey rounds off the acidity of ancient wine.
Red wine mixed with spring water and bound with honey, perfumed with a hint of thyme, served at room temperature. A symposion drink, sweet and lively at once, where honey rounds off the acidity of ancient wine.
When evening comes, as the sea darkens before my cave, I fill the krater. Never do I offer you neat wine—that makes men furious like beasts; I mix it with water from my spring and melt honey into it, as is done to honor a dear guest. Take your cup, listen to the resin crackle in the torch. Drink slowly: that is how one forgets, for a moment, even the homeland one mourns.
- •Red wine from the vines of Ogygia — one measure (base)
- •Fresh spring water — two to three measures (softening (mixing))
- •Wild honey — to taste (sweetness, signature)
- •Thyme and a shard of cinnamon from the East — a pinch (scent)
Melikraton, the Wine of Ogygia Sweetened with Honey
Red wine mixed with spring water and bound with honey, perfumed with a hint of thyme, served at room temperature. A symposion drink, sweet and lively at once, where honey rounds off the acidity of ancient wine.
Why this dish? The Odyssey specifies that Calypso has her own vines and offers wine to Odysseus. Drinking wine neat was considered barbaric: it was mixed with water and, for honored guests or libations, sweetened with honey. This mixed cup, melikraton, seals the hospitality the nymph offers her captive each evening.
When evening comes, as the sea darkens before my cave, I fill the krater. Never do I offer you neat wine—that makes men furious like beasts; I mix it with water from my spring and melt honey into it, as is done to honor a dear guest. Take your cup, listen to the resin crackle in the torch. Drink slowly: that is how one forgets, for a moment, even the homeland one mourns.
Ingredients (period version)
- Red wine from the vines of Ogygia — one measure (base)
- Fresh spring water — two to three measures (softening (mixing))
- Wild honey — to taste (sweetness, signature)
- Thyme and a shard of cinnamon from the East — a pinch (scent)
Ingredients
- Light dry red wine — 200 ml (base)
- Spring water — 300 ml (mixing)
- Honey — 2 to 3 tbsp (sweetness)
- Sprig of thyme + small cinnamon stick — 1 each (scent)
Method
- Gently warm a ladle of wine (do not boil) and dissolve the honey in it.
- Pour back into the rest of the wine with the thyme and cinnamon.
- Add cold spring water to desired strength—traditionally 2 to 3 parts water to 1 part wine.
- Let infuse 10 minutes, remove aromatics.
- Serve cool or at room temperature in low cups.
How it was made : Greeks always mixed wine in a large krater before serving; drinking it neat was considered excessive. Honey was used to correct often harsh or oxidized wines. Melikraton (honey + water or wine) also served as a ritual drink and remedy.
The contemporary twist : Summer version: serve well chilled over ice cubes with an orange zest—an 'Ogygia spritz' that keeps the spirit of the ancient krater.
Sources : Homer, Odyssey, Book V · Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists · Andrew Dalby, Siren Feasts (1996)
Calypso · Charactorium