SC - "Fake" ypocras

[Adler, Chris]

>>>BTW- does anyone know if a substitute for ypocras could be made from
grape juice? We will be hosting a no-alcohol bardic circle and I'm
thinking of beverage opportunities...

I've made "fake hippocras" several times for events, since I try to serve
beverages at dinner which would resemble what was actually served in period
(which, obviously, would be alcohol). 

I've served fresh cider (citing Digbie and others), pear juice masquerading
as perry (also Digbie and others), fresh lemonade (La Varenne, I believe),
hot lemonade (Anonymous Andalusian), sikanjabin (Andalusian) and grape juice
which I've steeped with grains of paradise, long pepper, cubebs, blades of
mace, cassia bark, and sugar, if memory serves me correctly. One time, I
added cream to the grape drink, as I saw in Markham or Dawson, if I'm
remembering the recipe correctly. The original hippocras recipe comes from
Robert May, I think. 

I remember I first saw a reference to the ingredients in true hippocras
years ago in To The King's Taste back before I was able to buy primary
sources. Since my barony tended to serve nasty pink lemonade mix at feasts
and I didn't want to do that, it occurred to me at the time that I could
spice grape juice to taste **somewhat** like hippocras without actually
serving alcohol at a feast.

All of the beverages I noted above have been, generally, received very
enthusiastically at feast.

Katja