away; skiming it as Itriseth: then put into it a small
quantity of Ginger largely sliced; then put it out
into earthen Pans, till it be Luke-warm, and so put
it up into an earthen stand, with a tap in it. Then
put to it about half a Porenger-ful of the best Ale-
yes✪ Small Metheglint, so beat it well together ; Then cover it with a
cloth, and it will be twelve hours before it work; and
afterwards let it stand two days, and then draw it
out into stone bottles, and it will be ready to drink
in five or six days after. This proportion of yest
(which is about six good spoonfuls) is enough for
three or four Gallons of Liquor. The yest must be
of good Ale, and very new. You may mingle the
yest first with a little of the Luke-warm-Liquor ;
then beat it, till it be well incorporated, and begins
to work ; Then adde a little more Liquor to it, and
beat that. Continue so adding the Liquor by little
and little, till a good deal of it be Incorporated with
theyest; then put that to all the rest of the quantity,
and beat it altogether very well ; then cover it close,
and keep it warm for two or three days. Before you
bottle it, scum away all the barm and Ginger (whereof
a spoonful or two is enough for three or four Gal-
lons) then bottle up the clear, leaving the dregs. If
you will, you may Tun it into a barrel, (if you make
a greater quantity) when the barm is well Incor-
porated with the Liquor, in the same manner as you
do Beer or Ale, and so let it work in the Barrel as
long as it will ; then stop it up close for a few days
more, that so it may clear it self well, and separate
and precipitate the dregs. Then draw the clear into
bottles. This will make it less windy, butalso a little
THE CLOSET OPEJ^ED 71
less quick, though more wholesome. You may also
boil a little handful of tops of Rosemary in the
Liquor, which giveth it a fine taste : but all other
herbs, and particularly Sweet-marjoram and Thyme,
give it a Physical taste. A little Limon-peel giveth
it a very fine taste. If youTun it in a barrel, to work
there, you may hang the Ginger and Limon-peel in
it in a bag, till you bottle it, or till it have done
working. Then you may put two or three stoned
and sliced Raisins, and a lump of fine Sugar into
every bottle to make it quick.
TO MAKE METHEGLIN
Take five Gallons of water, and one Gallon of good
White-honey ; set it on the fire together, and boil it
very well, and skim it very clean ; Then take it off
the fire, and set it by. Take six ounces of good
Ginger, and two ounces of Cinamon, one Ounce of
Nutmegs; bruise all these grosly, and put them in-
to your hot Liquor, and cover it close, and so let it
stand, till it be cold. Then put as much Ale-barm
to it, as will make it work ; then keep it in a warm
place, as you do Ale ; and when it hath wrought
well. Tun it up, as you do Ale or Beer : and when it
is a week old, drink of it at your pleasure.
AN EXCELLENT METHEGLIN
Take Spring-water, and boil it with Rose-mary,
Sage, Sweet-Marjoram, Balm and Sassafras, until it
hath boiled three or four hours : The quantity of
the Herbs is a handful of them all, of each a like
proportion, to a Gallon of water. And when it is
boiled, set it to cool and to settle until the next day :
Then strain your water, and mix it with honey.
72 SIR KENELME DIGBIS ✪ Excellent Metheglin
Page 56 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
away; skimming it as it riseth: then put into it a small quantity of Ginger largely sliced; then put it out into earthen Pans, till it be Luke-warm, and so put it up into an earthen stand, with a tap in it. Then put to it about half a Porringer-ful of the best Aleyest, so beat it well together ; Then cover it with a cloth, and it will be twelve hours before it work; and afterwards let it stand two days, and then draw it out into stone bottles, and it will be ready to drink in five or six days after. This proportion of yest (which is about six good spoonfuls) is enough for three or four Gallons of Liquor. The yest must be of good Ale, and very new. You may mingle the yest first with a little of the Luke-warm-Liquor ; then beat it, till it be well incorporated, and begins to work ; Then adde a little more Liquor to it, and beat that. Continue so adding the Liquor by little and little, till a good deal of it be Incorporated with the yest; then put that to all the rest of the quantity, and beat it altogether very well ; then cover it close, and keep it warm for two or three days. Before you bottle it, scum away all the barm and Ginger (whereof a spoonful or two is enough for three or four Gallons) then bottle up the clear, leaving the dregs. If you will, you may Tun it into a barrel, (if you make a greater quantity) when the barm is well Incorporated with the Liquor, in the same manner as you do Beer or Ale, and so let it work in the Barrel as long as it will ; then stop it up close for a few days more, that so it may clear it self well, and separate and precipitate the dregs. Then draw the clear into bottles. This will make it less windy, but also a little
less quick, though more wholesome. You may also boil a little handful of tops of Rosemary in the Liquor, which giveth it a fine taste : but all other herbs, and particularly Sweet-marjoram and Thyme, give it a Physical taste. A little Limon-peel giveth it a very fine taste. If youTun it in a barrel, to work there, you may hang the Ginger and Limon-peel in it in a bag, till you bottle it, or till it have done working. Then you may put two or three stoned and sliced Raisins, and a lump of fine Sugar into every bottle to make it quick. Take five Gallons of water, and one Gallon of good White-honey ; set it on the fire together, and boil it very well, and skim it very clean ; Then take it off the fire, and set it by. Take six ounces of good Ginger, and two ounces of Cinamon, one Ounce of Nutmegs; bruise all these grosly, and put them into your hot Liquor, and cover it close, and so let it stand, till it be cold. Then put as much Ale-barm to it, as will make it work ; then keep it in a warm place, as you do Ale ; and when it hath wrought well. Tun it up, as you do Ale or Beer : and when it is a week old, drink of it at your pleasure. AN EXCELLENT METHEGLIN Take Spring-water, and boil it with Rose-mary, Sage, Sweet-Marjoram, Balm and Sassafras, until it hath boiled three or four hours : The quantity of the Herbs is a handful of them all, of each a like proportion, to a Gallon of water. And when it is boiled, set it to cool and to settle until the next day : Then strain your water, and mix it with honey.
Records on this page
MetheglinSmall MetheglinExcellent Metheglin