Hot spiced wines were much in use till the beginning of the sixteenth century; and some of these favorite compounds were known by the names of ypocras, sack, and clary. The first of these, which took its name from the bag through which it was strained, called by apothecaries "Hippocrates's sleeve," was made either of white or red wine with aromatics, such as ginger, cinnamon, aromatic seeds, and sugar. Clary was made from claret, with honey and aromatics; and sack from the wine of that name, a kind of sherry. These were drunk as a "night cap," and at the conclusion of a banquet. Le Grand, in his "Vie privee des Francois," observes that the poets of the thirteenth century speak with rapture of these delicious beverages; and it is said that they were highly esteemed in convents and universities. A scale of perfection was even observed: when the compound was made of Bordeaux wine, it was simply called Bishop; but received the name of Cardinal when old Rhine wine was used; and rose to the dignity of Pope when imperial Tokay was employed. The vestiges of these ancient mixtures may still be seen in our mulled wine and bishop.

How To Mull Wine

Boil the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg grated, cloves, and mace) in any quantity approved, in half a gill of water; put to this a full pint of port, with sugar to taste. Mix it well, and serve hot with thin slips of toast or rusks. Lemon or orange juice may be added, and the water may be strained off from the spices. Ale or Porter may be mulled as above, and have toast or biscuits put to them. Formerly the yolks of eggs were mixed with mulled wine, as in making custard or egg-caudle, and many flavoring ingredients were employed which are now disused.

Bishop

The day before it is wanted, grill over a clear, slow fire, of a pale brown, three large, bitter oranges. Place them in a small punch-bowl that will about hold them, and pour over them a full half pint from a bottle of old Bordeaux wine, in which a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar is dissolved. Cover with a plate. When it is to be served next day, cut and squeeze the oranges into a small sieve placed above a jug, containing the remainder of the bottle of wine, previously made very hot; add more syrup if it is wanted. Serve hot in large glasses, or in summer it may be iced. Bishop is often made of Madeira in England, and is perfumed with nutmegs, bruised cloves, and mace. It ought, however, to be made of old generous Bordeaux wine, or it fails of its purpose as a tonic liqueur. It is reckoned highly stomachic, and is served at French dinners, savans and recherches, either as the coup d'apres or after the dessert.

The wassail howl of ancient times was made of mild ale, well spiced and sweetened; and sometimes with eggs beat up in it.

The ancient Ypocras was made of a quart of red wine, an ounce of cinnamon, half an ounce of ginger, a quarter of an ounce of pepper, and half a pound of sugar, all put into a bag and infused in the wine.

Cool Tankard

The composition of this ancient beverage is of great variety. The basis is home-brewed ale, spices, and seasoning herbs. Some use cider instead of ale.

Covered Pitcher.

Egg Flip

Heat a quart of good ale, and pour it into a pitcher; in a similar pitcher beat up three or four eggs with a quarter of a pound of moist sugar, and one or two glasses of rum or brandy, flavoring it with nutmeg, ginger, and grated lemon peel. When the ale is quite hot, but not boiling, pour it quickly into the jug with the eggs, return this back into the other jug, and thus keep pouring the mixture backward and forward from one jug to another, till the whole is thoroughly incorporated, and as smooth as cream.

Egg Hot

This is made in the same manner as the last, only there is no spirits nor spices; simply the egg, and ale or beer, with sugar.

Ale Posset

Boil a pint of new milk with a slice of toasted bread; pour a bottle of mild ale into a punch-bowl.

sweeten, and add spices, and then pour the boiling milk over it.

Sack Posset

Boil some cream and grated sweet biscuits; add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Warm some sherry, and stir it into the cream; then pour the whole quickly from one vessel to another until it be perfectly smooth; or it may be made with eggs beat up in milk instead of the cream.

Punch is a beverage made of various spirituous liquors or wine, hot water, the acid juices of fruits, and sugar. It is considered to be very intoxicating; but this is probably because the spirit being partly sheathed by the mucilaginous juice and the sugar, its strength does not appear to the taste so great as it really is. Punch was almost universally drunk among the middle classes about fifty or sixty years ago.

English Punch

Rub the yellow rind of a lemon with lump sugar; put this sugar into the punch-bowl, and squeeze the lemon juice to it, add the spirits, rum and brandy, in such proportions as are preferred, incorporate the spirits thoroughly with the sugar and lemon before pouring in the boiling water, and keep stirring the whole while this is pouring: some add Madeira or sherry. Punch is kept also cold in bottles, and in summer is liked. It is frequently made with whiskey.

Regents Punch

A bottle of Champagne, a quarter of a pint of brandy, a glassful of veritable Martinique: with this mix a pint or more of a strong infusion of the best green tea strained, and capillaire or simple syrup to taste.

Norfolk Punch

Pare thirty-two oranges, and the same number of lemons; infuse the peel for two days in a large bottle or jar with a gallon of brandy (or whiskey), a little reduced in strength; clarify in a gallon of water four pounds of sugar; when cold, strain the brandy (which will now be a tincture) to this; add the juices of the oranges and lemons, previously strained and bottled, when the peel is taken off; cask the liquor, or put it in a jar, and stop it well; in six weeks it may be gently poured, or drawn off, and bottled. A tincture of bruised nutmegs and cloves may be added to this compound; this will keep any length of time, and in any climate.

Victoria Or 32d Regiment Punch

Take the peel of two dozen lemons, and steep it for thirty-six hours in two quarts of rum. Pour the juice of the lemons on three pounds and a half of loaf sugar. Add two quarts of brandy, and seven quarts of cold water.

Mix these together, and add by degrees two quarts of boiling milk, stirring it well. Let it stand four hours.

Strain it two or three times through a flannel jelly bag, till perfectly clear; bottle and cork it tight. Age improves it very much.

Milk Punch

Mix wine or brandy with milk; sweeten to taste; grate nutmeg on it.

Wine Punch

Port wine, two pints; arrack, two pints; the juice of twelve lemons; sugar, one pound; hot water, six pints.

Tea Punch

Hot tea, two pints; arrack, thirteen ounces; sugar, four ounces; flavored by rubbing off the yellow peel of the lemons.

French Punch

Cut a lemon into thin slices, taking out the seeds; boil them in water, and add a pinch of green tea, and let it infuse five minutes; strain the whole, and add brandy and sugar sufficient.

Auld Man's Milk Of Scotland, Or Egg-Nog Of America

Beat the yolks and whites of six eggs separately; put to the beat yolks sugar and a quart of new milk, or thin sweet cream; add to this rum, whiskey, or brandy, about half a pint; put in the whites of the eggs whipped up, and stir the whole gently. It may be flavored with nutmeg or rind of lemon.

Sangaree is a kind of punch frequently drunk in the West Indies, and is composed of one-third Madeira or porter, and two-thirds water, acidulated with lime juice and sweetened with sugar.

Mulled Cider

Boil a quart of cider, watered, if too strong, with cloves and allspice. Beat six eggs, sweeten, and add them to the boiling cider, with a pint or more of cream. Pour the liquor from one pitcher to another till it has a fine froth, and serve it warm.

Cherry Bounce

Take twelve pounds cherries, mashed, and mixed with three pounds sugar: add two gallons whiskey. Put it into a closed vessel, shake it often, and let it stand four months before bottling.