SC - Spiced Apple Juice

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

Hi all from Anne-Marie
We are asked:
> This has come off a TV program fact sheet in Australia Does anybody know
a
> possible source for this recipe and _how_ accurate the first sentence is
> (as regards to the _apple juice_)?
> 

I have always had this theory (unproven, but there you go, its just a
theory) that in the middle ages, folks would commonly drink whatever local
produce could be fermented. The English drank their ale and beer. The
French and Italians drank wine. If, perhaps you were from an apple rich
region, it makes sense taht you would drink cider, and if you were from an
area with lots of pears, you would drink perry.

We know that hypocras (the spiced wine, which, by the way, we have no
documentation that it was drunk hot. Go figure!) was a common thing, we
have lots of recipes for it. We even have recipes for spiced beer/ale
beverages (according to Ann Hagen, anyway). It would be a logical leap of
faith then to assume that folks would spice their fermented apple juice and
pear juice too. 

I recognise that this is indeed a leap of faith...I have no documentation
for the practice, but find it feasible. More feasible, in fact, than the
ubiquitous SCA practice of serving HOT spiced beverages.

- --Anne-Marie, who means to try spiced pear juice one of these days. Sounds
arwfully good.

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