Mr. Pierce's Excellent White Metheglin

Ingredients

• In a Copper, that holdeth conveniently three hogs-heads
• four handfuls of Sweet-briar-leaves
• as much of Eye-bright
• two handfuls of Rosemary
• as much of Sweet-Marjoram
• one of Broad-thyme
• about one part, to four of water
• a pottle of New-ale-barm
• a Pail-full of your cool Liquor

Method

1. 1

   Boil water with herbs, then strain and cool.

2. 2

   Add honey and mix well.

3. 3

   Use eggs to check strength, boil again, and skim.

4. 4

   After boiling, cool and mix with yeast.

5. 5

   Let it work for 24 hours.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight opened (1910) by Sir Kenelm Digby, page 44. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

MR. PIERCE'S EXCELLENT WHITE ME- THEGLIN In a Copper, that holdeth conveniently three hogs- heads, or near so much, boil the best water, (as full THE CLOSET OPEOjED 47 as is fitting). As soon as it boileth well and high, put to it four handfuls of Sweet-bryar-leaves, as much of Eye-bright : two handfuls of Rosemary, as much of Sweet-Marjoram, and one of Broad- thyme. Let them boil a quarter of an hour (He letteth them boil no longer, to preserve the colour of the Methe- glin pale) then scum away the herbs, scuming also the water clear. Then lade out the water, (letting it run through aRanch-Sieve) into a wide open vessel, or large Vat to cool, leaving the settlement and dregs. (He often leaves out the Eye-bright and Thyme, whenheprovideth chieflyfor the pure tast ; though the Eye-bright hurts it but little.) When it is blood-warm, put the honey to it, about one part, to four of water ; but because this doth not deter- mine the proportions exactly (for some honey will make it stronger then other) you must do that by bearing up an Egge. But first, lave and scoop your mixture exceedingly, (at least an hour) that the honey be not onely perfectly dissolved, but uni- formly mixed throughout the water. Then take out some of it in a great Woodden bowl or pail, and put a good number, (ten or twelve) New-laid- eggs into it, and as round ones as may be ; For long ones will deceive you in the swiming ; and stale ones, being lighter then new, will emerge out of the Liquor, the breadth of a sixpence, when new ones will not a groats-breadth. Therefore you take many, that you make a medium of their several emergings ; unless you be certain, that they which you use, are immediately then laid and very round. The rule is, that a Groats-breadth (or rather but a 48 SIR KENELMS DIGBIE threepence) of the Egg-shel must Swim above the Liquor ; which then put again into your Copper to boil. It will be some while, before it boil, (perad- venture a good quarter of an hour) but all that while scum will rise, which skim away still as it riseth ; and it should be clear scummed by then it boileth : which as soon as it doth, turn up an hour Glass, and let it boil well a good hour. A good quarter before the hour is out, put to it a pound of White- Ginger beaten exceedingly small and searsed(which will sever all the skins and course parts from the fine) which having boiled a quarter of an hour, so to make up the whole hour of boiling, pour out the Liquor into wide open Vats to cool. When it is quite cold, put a pottle of New-ale-barm into a Pipe or Butt, standing endwise with his head out, and pour upon it a Pail-full of your cool Liquor

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