SC - Brandy

[Cindy Renfrow]

Philippa said:
>Please remember that Brandy, of a sort, and thus
>distilling has been around since Roman times.

I thought Brandy was not known until the 13th century or
later. What makes you think it was known in Roman times?

What is Brandy distilled from? Is there a drink distilled
from mead?

Stefan li Rous

Hello!  There is a lengthy passage in McGee's "On Food and Cooking" about
the history of distillation.  To summarize:  distillation of wine and other
liquids was mentioned by Aristotle.  Distillation of rice or barley liquor
was known in India in 800 B.C.  Distillation of wine for medicine
discovered in Italy around 1100 A.D.  15th century brandy in germany.  1100
to 1300 whisky in Scotland.

This recipe for 'spirit of honey' is for a distilled alcohol made from mead.

13.  SPIRIT OF HONEY - 1609
Put one part of Honey to 5 parts of water:  when the water boyleth,
dissolue your Honey therein, skimme it, and hauing sodden an houre or two,
put it into a woodden vessell, and when it is but bloudwarme, set it on
worke with yeast after the vsuall manner of Beere and Ale:  runne it, and
when it hath lyen some time, it wil yeeld his Spirit by distillation, as
Wine, Beere and Ale will doe.
(From Delightes for Ladies, by Sir Hugh Plat, 1609.)

Yours in haste,

Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
renfrow at skylands.net
Author & Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th
Century Recipes" and "A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing
Recipes"
http://www.alcasoft.com/renfrow/


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