Date Wine Cut with Honey and Water
A sweet, slightly sparkling drink made from long-infused dates that gently ferment, sweetened with honey then cut with fresh water. Refreshing, barely alcoholic, in the spirit of ancient diluted wine.
A sweet, slightly sparkling drink made from long-infused dates that gently ferment, sweetened with honey then cut with fresh water. Refreshing, barely alcoholic, in the spirit of ancient diluted wine.
Beware of drinking your wine pure, friend: only a barbarian does that, and the sea does not forgive a drunken man. On shores where palms grow, we drew from dates a sweet drink that time made tangy, and we cut it with water until it refreshed without clouding the head. A little honey to gladden the palate, and the rower sings instead of staggers. That is how you quench thirst when the water in the amphorae turns bad.
- •Ripe dates — a generous handful (fermentable sugar and flavor)
- •Water — plenty (infusion and dilution)
- •Honey — to taste (sweetness)
Date Wine Cut with Honey and Water
A sweet, slightly sparkling drink made from long-infused dates that gently ferment, sweetened with honey then cut with fresh water. Refreshing, barely alcoholic, in the spirit of ancient diluted wine.
Why this dish? On board, wine was drunk diluted with water, 'in moderation to prevent illness.' At African stopovers, the date palm offered its fruit; a brew of infused and fermented dates, sweetened with honey and cut with water, quenched the rowers' thirst without intoxicating them.
Beware of drinking your wine pure, friend: only a barbarian does that, and the sea does not forgive a drunken man. On shores where palms grow, we drew from dates a sweet drink that time made tangy, and we cut it with water until it refreshed without clouding the head. A little honey to gladden the palate, and the rower sings instead of staggers. That is how you quench thirst when the water in the amphorae turns bad.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe dates — a generous handful (fermentable sugar and flavor)
- Water — plenty (infusion and dilution)
- Honey — to taste (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Pitted ripe dates — 200 g (sweet and aromatic base)
- Water — 1.5 liters (infusion)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Fresh water — to dilute at serving (final dilution)
Method
- Roughly crush the dates and steep them in warm (not boiling) water with the honey.
- Cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 days: a gentle fermentation starts, giving a slight fizz (taste daily to stop before it becomes too acidic).
- Strain to remove the pulp and skins.
- Keep cool; at serving, dilute with fresh water to your taste.
- For a non-alcoholic, immediate version: blend the dates with water and honey, strain, and serve very cold the same day.
How it was made : Wine cut with water was the norm throughout the ancient Mediterranean: drinking it pure was considered coarse and dangerous. In the south, where the vine gave way to the palm, fermented drinks were made from dates (ancestors of 'palm wine' and *lagmi*). Slightly alcoholic and sweet, they quenched thirst and provided calories for the crews.
The contemporary twist : Served over ice with a hint of orange blossom water and a few floating pomegranate seeds: a 'date water' that would not have disoriented Hanno.
Hanno the Navigator · Charactorium