flipPosca — the Soldier's Sour Drink
Posca — the Soldier's Sour Drink
Why this dish? Posca was the regulation drink of the Roman legionary: vinegar cut with water, thirst-quenching and sanitizing, which Caracalla drank with his troops during his long campaigns from Germania to the East to show he could endure hardship like his men.
An ancient drink of iron simplicity: vinegar diluted with water, sweetened with a little honey and scented with herbs, which quenched the thirst of Rome's armies over thousands of miles of road.
I leave pure wine to the soft senators wallowing on their couches. On the road to Carrhae, under a sun that splits helmets, I drink posca like my cavalrymen: vinegar, water, a drop of honey so I don't grimace. It cuts thirst and keeps a man straight in the saddle. Drink it too, and you will know what a legionary's legs are worth.
- •Wine vinegar (acetum) — one part (acidity, preservation)
- •Spring water — several parts (quenches thirst)
- •Honey — a little (sweetens)
- •Herbs (mint, coriander, lovage) — a few sprigs (fragrance)
Posca — the Soldier's Sour Drink
An ancient drink of iron simplicity: vinegar diluted with water, sweetened with a little honey and scented with herbs, which quenched the thirst of Rome's armies over thousands of miles of road.
Why this dish? Posca was the regulation drink of the Roman legionary: vinegar cut with water, thirst-quenching and sanitizing, which Caracalla drank with his troops during his long campaigns from Germania to the East to show he could endure hardship like his men.
I leave pure wine to the soft senators wallowing on their couches. On the road to Carrhae, under a sun that splits helmets, I drink posca like my cavalrymen: vinegar, water, a drop of honey so I don't grimace. It cuts thirst and keeps a man straight in the saddle. Drink it too, and you will know what a legionary's legs are worth.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wine vinegar (acetum) — one part (acidity, preservation)
- Spring water — several parts (quenches thirst)
- Honey — a little (sweetens)
- Herbs (mint, coriander, lovage) — a few sprigs (fragrance)
Ingredients
- Red wine or cider vinegar — 3 tbsp (acidity)
- Cold water — 1 liter (base)
- Honey — 1–2 tbsp (sweetens)
- Fresh mint — a few leaves (fragrance)
Method
- Dissolve the honey in a little warm water.
- Add the vinegar, then top up with cold water.
- Crush a few mint leaves and drop them into the pitcher.
- Let infuse in a cool place for 1 hour, taste, and adjust acidity. Serve well chilled.
How it was made : Posca, a mix of water and vinegar (sometimes with herbs or honey), was the basic drink of soldiers and the lower classes. The vinegar's acidity limited bacterial growth in questionable water: hygiene ahead of its time.
The contemporary twist : Summer “shrub” version: add a few crushed berries and serve over ice, like an ancient kombucha.
Sources : Plutarch, Life of Cato the Elder · Spartianus, Historia Augusta, Life of Caracalla (displayed frugality)
Caracalla · Charactorium
