[Sca-cooks] Beverages, was Royal authenticity

[david friedman]

>Unfortunately, there isn't anything non-alcoholic.  Water isn't safe 
>to drink, unless it's from a stream (non-well water) or processed in 
>some way (boiled).  Milk isn't safe to drink, or seems not to be 
>considered as a drink (except for Norwegian buttermilk?).  Fruit 
>juices are too expensive to drink, except for apple or grape, and 
>they won't keep unless they're fermented.  So, much like providing 
>adequate meals for vegetarians, offering non-alcoholic period drinks 
>is tricky.  I would think the easiest thing would be to have water 
>(hot tea & coffee too) and ask the feasters to BYOBeverage.
>
>
>
>Nancy Kiel

Of course, the tea and coffee are OOP for very nearly all SCA personae.

What about the very weakly alcoholic things, which I think are what 
our soft drinks evolved out of? Digby's weak honey drink (17th 
century), for instance. My guess is that they existed in period, 
although I don't think I have any earlier recipes, they are tasty, 
and very hard to get drunk on.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/