Warm Grape Must with Honey
Fresh grape juice barely heated, sweetened with honey and spiced with a hint of spice, served warm or chilled. A sweet, non-intoxicating drink for the family table; it can be left to begin fermenting for a more wine-like version reserved for adults.
Fresh grape juice barely heated, sweetened with honey and spiced with a hint of spice, served warm or chilled. A sweet, non-intoxicating drink for the family table; it can be left to begin fermenting for a more wine-like version reserved for adults.
Drink, my friend, drink again: the cup is full and the night is long. I have pressed the clusters from our hillsides, I have warmed the must with a little honey and a touch of spice until it perfumes the whole house. See how sweet it is — it warms the heart and loosens the tongue better than a thousand caresses. Bring your cup, and tell me your secrets while I fill yours.
- •Grape must (pressed juice) — a full jug (base)
- •Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- •Coriander or cinnamon — a hint (aroma)
Warm Grape Must with Honey
Fresh grape juice barely heated, sweetened with honey and spiced with a hint of spice, served warm or chilled. A sweet, non-intoxicating drink for the family table; it can be left to begin fermenting for a more wine-like version reserved for adults.
Why this dish? Delilah made Samson drink before wresting his secret from him. Wine and must circulated in the Aegean kraters of the Philistines, a seafaring and wine-growing people: a shared cup loosens tongues and wills.
Drink, my friend, drink again: the cup is full and the night is long. I have pressed the clusters from our hillsides, I have warmed the must with a little honey and a touch of spice until it perfumes the whole house. See how sweet it is — it warms the heart and loosens the tongue better than a thousand caresses. Bring your cup, and tell me your secrets while I fill yours.
Ingredients (period version)
- Grape must (pressed juice) — a full jug (base)
- Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- Coriander or cinnamon — a hint (aroma)
Ingredients
- Pure grape juice (red or white) — 1 liter (base)
- Honey — 1-2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick or coriander seeds — 1 (aroma)
- Water — 200 ml (to dilute) (dilution)
Method
- Pour the grape juice and water into a saucepan with the spice.
- Heat gently without boiling for 10 minutes to infuse the aroma.
- Remove from heat, stir in the honey until dissolved.
- Remove the spice, serve warm in cups — or let cool and serve chilled on warm days.
How it was made : Before full fermentation, must (fresh juice) and young wine were widely consumed, often cut with water and sweetened with honey or spices. Pure wine was considered harsh; mixing it was a sign of good hospitality throughout the Eastern basin.
The contemporary twist : Serve it over ice with a thin slice of fresh fig on the rim of the cup — a 'Nectar of Sorek' non-alcoholic drink, perfect for the whole table.
Sources : Book of Judges 16 (Delilah makes Samson drunk) · Studies on viticulture in the ancient Levant
Delilah · Charactorium