A sweetened mulled wine infused with spices — cinnamon, ginger, clove — then filtered and served warm. The refined drink that closes fine meals and loosens tongues.

Why this dish? A ceremonial drink served at the end of meals in good 17th-century society, hippocras accompanies literate conversation. One can easily imagine Corneille sharing a cup with fellow members of the Académie française.

When the table grows talkative and the candles burn low, hippocras is brought. Take good wine, throw in cinnamon, ginger, and clove, sweeten to your taste, and let the spices steep overnight before passing it through the filter cloth until it is clear as a ruby. Sip it slowly, never in excess, for it warms the mind as much as it warms the blood — and we men of letters already have spirit enough.

How it was made : Hippocras (named after Hippocrates, via his filtering 'sleeve') is attested from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. It was prepared by cold maceration and filtration, not by heating like modern mulled wine. It was a prestige drink, served at the end of banquets, sometimes offered to distinguished guests. A non-alcoholic version can be made with grape or apple juice infused with the same spices, for children.

The contemporary twist : Served chilled in a stemmed glass with an orange zest, hippocras becomes a surprisingly modern period aperitif.

Pierre Corneille · Charactorium