flipMulsum — Honeyed Apéritif Wine
Mulsum — Honeyed Apéritif Wine
Why this dish? No cena worthy of a consular began without mulsum: it is the welcome cup Cicero offered his guests before discussion. He, the orator, knew that a well-received guest listens better — and mulsum, sweet and fragrant, loosened tongues at the threshold of the meal.
White wine sweetened with honey and scented with spices, served chilled at the very start of the meal. The quintessential welcome drink of the Roman table.
Before any speech, before any debate, we offer the cup: it is the law of hospitality, older than our written laws. I beat honey into a clear wine until it is fully dissolved, then let a little pepper and a fragrant leaf infuse. Drink one cup, not three: both the orator and the guest must keep their wits sharp enough to savor what follows.
- •White wine — a pitcher (base)
- •Honey — generously (sweetness)
- •Pepper, nard leaf or bay leaf — a pinch / one leaf (fragrance)
Mulsum — Honeyed Apéritif Wine
White wine sweetened with honey and scented with spices, served chilled at the very start of the meal. The quintessential welcome drink of the Roman table.
Why this dish? No cena worthy of a consular began without mulsum: it is the welcome cup Cicero offered his guests before discussion. He, the orator, knew that a well-received guest listens better — and mulsum, sweet and fragrant, loosened tongues at the threshold of the meal.
Before any speech, before any debate, we offer the cup: it is the law of hospitality, older than our written laws. I beat honey into a clear wine until it is fully dissolved, then let a little pepper and a fragrant leaf infuse. Drink one cup, not three: both the orator and the guest must keep their wits sharp enough to savor what follows.
Ingredients (period version)
- White wine — a pitcher (base)
- Honey — generously (sweetness)
- Pepper, nard leaf or bay leaf — a pinch / one leaf (fragrance)
Ingredients
- Sweet or off-dry white wine — 75 cl (base)
- Quality honey — 4 to 6 tbsp (sweetness)
- Black peppercorns — 3 (fragrance)
- Bay leaf — 1 small (aroma)
Method
- Gently warm a glass of wine and dissolve the honey completely.
- Pour this mixture back into the bottle, add the peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Let infuse in a cool place for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight).
- Strain and serve chilled in small cups as an aperitif.
How it was made : Mulsum (wine + honey) opened the gustatio; it is distinct from conditum, a more elaborate spiced wine. Romans almost always cut their wine — drinking it undiluted was considered barbaric. Honey was also used to correct sometimes harsh wines.
The contemporary twist : Serve very cold over ice with a lemon twist: a 'Caesars' vermouth' to offer as an ancient kir.
Sources : Apicius, *De re coquinaria* · Pliny the Elder, *Naturalis Historia*
Cicero · Charactorium
