Customs and Fashions in Old New EnglandEarle, Alice Morse
History
Customs and Fashions in Old New England
Earle, Alice Morse
New England -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
Claret was not much loved by the planters, who had a taste for the sweet
sack. Morton tells that for his revellers he "broched a hogshead, caused
them to fill the Can with Lusty liquor--Claret sparklinge neat--which
was not suffered to grow pale & flat but tipled off with quick
dexterity." Mumm, a fat ale made of oat-malt and wheat-malt, appears
frequently in early importations and accounts. The sillabub of which
Sewall speaks was made with cider and was not boiled:
"Fill your Sillabub Pot with Syder (for that is best for a
Sillabub) and good store of Sugar and a little Nutmeg, stir it wel
together, put in as much thick Cream by two or three spoonfuls at a
time, as hard as you can as though you milke it in, then stir it
together exceeding softly once about and let it stand two hours at
least."
Other mild fermented drinks than beer were made and drunk in colonial
days in large quantities. Mead and metheglin, wherewith the Druids and
old English bards were wont to carouse, were made from water, honey, and
yeast. Here is an old receipt for the latter drink, which some colonists
pronounced as good as Malaga sack.
"Take all sorts of Hearbs that are good and wholesome as Balme,
Mint, Fennel, Rosemary, Angelica, wilde Tyme, Isop, Burnet,
Egrimony, and such other as you think fit; some Field Hearbs, but
you must not put in too many, but especially Rosemary or any Strong
Hearb, lesse than halfe a handfull will serve of every sorte, you
must boyl your Hearbs & strain them, and let the liquor stand till
to Morrow and settle them, take off the clearest Liquor, two
Gallons & a halfe to one Gallon of Honey, and that proportion as
much as you will make, and let it boyle an houre, and in the
boyling skim it very clear, then set it a cooling as you doe Beere,
when it is cold take some very good Ale Barme and put into the
bottome of the Tubb a little and a little as they do Beere, keeping
back the thicke Setling that lyeth in the bottome of the Vessel
that it is cooled in, and when it is all put together cover it with
a Cloth and let it worke very neere three dayes, and when you mean
to put it up, skim off all the Barme clean, put it up into the
Vessel, but you must not stop your Vessel very close in three or
four dayes but let it have all the vent, for it will worke and when
it is close stopped you must looke very often to it and have a peg
in the top to give it vent, when you heare it make a noise as it
will do, or else it will breake the Vessell; sometime I make a bag
and put in good store of Ginger sliced, some Cloves and Cinnamon
and boyl it in, and other time I put it into the Barrel and never
boyl it, it is both good, but Nutmeg & Mace do not well to my
Tast."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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