Metheglin

Ingredients

• Take four Gallons of running water
• one Gallon of Honey
• two Ounces of Ginger
• the whites of three Eggs

Method

1. 1

   Boil water, let it cool, then dissolve honey.

2. 2

   Add ginger and boil again.

3. 3

   Clarify with beaten egg whites, then let it ferment in a barrel for several weeks.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight opened (1910) by Sir Kenelm Digby, page 63. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

METHEGLIN Take twenty Gallons of Spring-water ; boil it a quarter of an hour, and let it stand, until it be all most cold ; then beat in so much honey, as will make it so strong as to bear an Egg, so that on the Top, you may see the breadth of a hasel-nut swimming above ; The next day boil it up with six small hand- fuls of Rosemary ; a pound and a half of Ginger, being scraped and bruised ; then take the whites of twenty Eggs shells and all ; beat them very well, and put them in to clarifie it ; skim it very clean, then take it offthe fire and strain: But put the Rose- mary and Ginger in again : then let it remain till it be all most cold : then Tun it up, and take some New-ale-yest ; the whites of two Eggs, a spoonful of flower, and beat them well together, and put them into the barrel ; when it hath wrought very well, stop it very close for three weeks or a month : then bottle it, and a week after you may drink it. TO MAKE MEATH Take to every Gallon of water, a quart of honey, and set it over a clear fire, and when it is ready to boil, skim it very clear. Then take two handfulls of Sweet-marjoram, as much Rose-mary, and as much Baulm : and two handful of Fennel-roots, as much of Parsley-roots, and as many Esparages-roots : slice them in the middle, and take out the pith, wash and scrape them very clean, and put them with your herbs into your Liquor. Then take two Ounces of Ginger, one Ounce of Nutmegs, half an Ounce of 86 SIR KENELMS DIGBIS Mace : bruise them and put them in : and let it boil till it be so strong that it will bear an Egg : then let it cool : and being cold, put in 3 or 4 spoon fulls of New-ale yest : and so skim it well, and put it into a Runlet, and it will work like Ale : and having done working, stop it up close, as you do New-beer : and lay salt upon it. TO MAKE METHEGLIN Take four Gallons of running water, and boil it a quarter of an hour, and put it in an earthen vessel, and let it stand all night. The next day take only the water, and leave the settling at the bottom : so put the honey in a thin bag, and work it in the water, till all the honey is dissolved. Take to four Gallons of water, one Gallon of Honey : Then put in an Egg, if it be strong enough of the honey, the Egg will part of it appear on the top of the liquor : if it do not, put more honey to it, till it do. Then take out the Egg, and let the Liquor stand till next morn- ing. Then take two Ounces of Ginger, and slice it and pare it : Some Rose-mary washed and stripped from the stalk : dry it very well. The next day put the Rose-maryandGingerintothe drink, and so set it on the fire : when it is all most ready to boil, take the whites of three Eggs

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.