flipHoneyed wine from the krater for libation
Honeyed wine from the krater for libation
Why this dish? Dionysus IS the wine: it is the gift he gives to mortals. The krater in which water and wine are mixed before drinking together is the very object of his cult, and every symposion opens with a libation poured in his honor.
Red wine diluted with water, sweetened with a touch of honey and scented with an herb, served warm or chilled depending on the season. The drink that opens and closes every Greek banquet, both pleasure and offering.
Come closer, mortal, and do not fear the cup. This wine, it is I who brought it to men so they might forget for a moment the weight of their days. But mark this well: never drink it pure, or madness will seize you as it seized the daughters of Minyas! Pour it into the krater, marry it to spring water, sweeten it with a little honey from Mount Hymettus—and before you bring the kylix to your lips, let a few drops fall to the earth, for me. Drink slowly, sing, laugh: that is how you honor me.
- •Dark red wine — one measure (base, the god's gift)
- •Spring water — three measures (tempers drunkenness, civilizes the wine)
- •Thyme honey — to taste (softens the harshness)
- •Thyme or cinnamon (kasia) — one sprig (fragrance)
Honeyed wine from the krater for libation
Red wine diluted with water, sweetened with a touch of honey and scented with an herb, served warm or chilled depending on the season. The drink that opens and closes every Greek banquet, both pleasure and offering.
Why this dish? Dionysus IS the wine: it is the gift he gives to mortals. The krater in which water and wine are mixed before drinking together is the very object of his cult, and every symposion opens with a libation poured in his honor.
Come closer, mortal, and do not fear the cup. This wine, it is I who brought it to men so they might forget for a moment the weight of their days. But mark this well: never drink it pure, or madness will seize you as it seized the daughters of Minyas! Pour it into the krater, marry it to spring water, sweeten it with a little honey from Mount Hymettus—and before you bring the kylix to your lips, let a few drops fall to the earth, for me. Drink slowly, sing, laugh: that is how you honor me.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dark red wine — one measure (base, the god's gift)
- Spring water — three measures (tempers drunkenness, civilizes the wine)
- Thyme honey — to taste (softens the harshness)
- Thyme or cinnamon (kasia) — one sprig (fragrance)
Ingredients
- Full-bodied red wine (Côtes-du-Rhône, Grenache) — 20 cl (base)
- Spring water — 40 to 60 cl (dilutes the wine)
- Liquid honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick or thyme sprig — 1 (fragrance)
Method
- Gently warm the water with the honey and cinnamon (or thyme) until the honey dissolves, without boiling.
- Remove from heat and let infuse for ten minutes, then remove the spice.
- Pour the wine into a large vessel (the krater), then add the warm honeyed water while stirring.
- Serve in wide, shallow cups. For young guests or the classroom, replace the wine with red grape juice.
How it was made : The Greeks considered it barbaric to drink wine undiluted. It was always mixed in the krater, in proportions debated at the banquet: Hesiod advised three parts water to one part wine. It was scented with honey, pine resin (ancestor of retsina), thyme, or spices from the East.
The contemporary twist : Served chilled in summer in a large shared cup at the center of the table: a convivial 'krater' from which each person ladles, just as 2500 years ago.
Sources : Hesiod, Works and Days · Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists
Dionysus · Charactorium
