flipMulsum — Honeyed Wine of the Symposion
Mulsum — Honeyed Wine of the Symposion
Why this dish? Wine cut with water was **Ptolemy's** daily drink, "consumed during meals taken in common with other members of the **Mouseion**." *Mulsum*, wine sweetened with honey, opened the *symposion* — that moment of debate where the scholars of Alexandria discussed geometry, harmony, and the motion of the stars, cup in hand.
Wine mixed with honey and a hint of spice, served chilled and diluted with water. The ceremonial drink that launched learned conversations, never drunk neat — drinking wine without water was considered barbaric.
Never, mark my words, did I drink wine unmixed: only a Scythian or a man without measure does so. At the start of our gatherings, I would blend a little honey into the wine and dilute it generously with cool water, for a clear mind must preside over discourse, not fumes. We held our cups and spoke of spheres and numbers until late. The right proportion of water to wine, you see, is itself a matter of calculation.
- •Wine (red or white) — one measure (base)
- •Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- •Water — two to three measures (dilution)
- •Pinch of long pepper or cinnamon (optional, for wealthy tables) — a hint (spice)
Mulsum — Honeyed Wine of the Symposion
Wine mixed with honey and a hint of spice, served chilled and diluted with water. The ceremonial drink that launched learned conversations, never drunk neat — drinking wine without water was considered barbaric.
Why this dish? Wine cut with water was **Ptolemy's** daily drink, "consumed during meals taken in common with other members of the **Mouseion**." *Mulsum*, wine sweetened with honey, opened the *symposion* — that moment of debate where the scholars of Alexandria discussed geometry, harmony, and the motion of the stars, cup in hand.
Never, mark my words, did I drink wine unmixed: only a Scythian or a man without measure does so. At the start of our gatherings, I would blend a little honey into the wine and dilute it generously with cool water, for a clear mind must preside over discourse, not fumes. We held our cups and spoke of spheres and numbers until late. The right proportion of water to wine, you see, is itself a matter of calculation.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wine (red or white) — one measure (base)
- Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- Water — two to three measures (dilution)
- Pinch of long pepper or cinnamon (optional, for wealthy tables) — a hint (spice)
Ingredients
- Fruity red wine (or grape juice for non-alcoholic version) — 250 ml (base)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cold water — 200 ml (dilution)
- Pinch of cinnamon — 1 pinch (spice (optional))
- Few drops of vinegar or lemon juice — to taste (hint of acidity)
Method
- Warm a small amount of wine with honey to dissolve it fully, then let cool.
- Pour back into the rest of the wine, add cold water to desired dilution.
- Season with a pinch of cinnamon and adjust with a drop of acidity.
- Serve chilled, never iced, in broad cups.
How it was made : *Mulsum* (wine and honey) traditionally opened Roman meals; the Greeks always diluted wine with water (often 1 part wine to 2 or 3 parts water), drinking it neat being considered excessive. Spices from the East (pepper, cinnamon) signaled a wealthy table.
The contemporary twist : Serve a non-alcoholic version with grape juice for family and school audiences, dubbed "The Mouseion Cup."
Claudius Ptolemy · Charactorium
