To make fyn meade & poynaunt.

Part V Goud Kokery Royal 17. A. iii

4 Potus clarreti pro domino.
Take of canel i lb. as it cometh out of the bale; of gyngyer, xii unce in the same maner; iii quarter of a lb. of pepir; ii unce of long peper; ii unce & a half of greynes; iii unce & a half of clowis; ii unce & a half of galyngale; ii unce of carewey; ii unce of macis; ii unce of notemugges; ii unce of coliaundir; a quarter of a pynte of aqua ardaunt; with iii galouns of hony: rescett for xx galouns of clarrey.

4 Strong claret for the house [?].
Take of cinnamon 1 lb. as it comes out of the bale; of ginger, 12 ounce in the same manner; 3 quarter of a pound of pepper; 2 ounce of long pepper; 2 ounce and a half of grains of paradise; 3 ounce and a half of cloves; 2 ounce and a half of galingale; 2 ounce of caraway; 2 ounce of mace; 2 ounce of nutmeg; 2 ounce of coriander; a quarter of a pint of aqua arduant; with 3 gallons of honey: recipe for 20 gallons of claret.


5 potus ypocras.
Take a half lb. of canel tried; of gyngyuer tried, a half lb.; of greynes, iii unce; of longe peper, iii unce; of clowis, ii unce; of notemugges, ii unce & a half; of carewey, ii unce; of spikenard, a half unce; of galyngale, ii unce; of sugir, ii lb. Si deficiat sugir, take a potel of hony.

5 Strong hippocras.
Take half a pound of cinnamon tested; of ginger tested, a half pound; of grains of paradise, 3 ounce; of long pepper, 3 ounce; of cloves, 2 ounce; of nutmeg, 2 ounce and a half; of caraway, 2 ounce; of spikenard, a half ounce; of galingale, 2 ounce; of sugar, 2 lb. If deficient in sugar, take a potel of honey.


6 For to dighte a pype of clarrey.
Take and drawe thi wiyn fiyn into a pype that is clene & lete it not be ful by vii or viii vnchis. & thanne take iii lb. of gyngyuer, iii lb. of canel, 1 quarter of greynes, a half unce of notemugges, & half a quarter of clowis, i unce of spikenard, i unce of longe peper. Do al these togider in at a bunge; thanne take a staf and leue it on foure with a kniif into the myddil, that the wiyn & the poudir may renne thoru the staf til the poudir be broken thoruout the vessel. If the vessel be stron inough, lete rolle him wel. & thanne lete take vi galouns of hony wel clarified, thanne do it into the pype a ghelk warm, & hete it therwith. Thanne take & fille up the pype & stoppe him faste, & on the fourthe day it is fiyn. For to colouren, take an unce of safren & rolle it therwith.

6 For to dye [?] a pipe of claret.
Take and decant the fine wine into a pipe [type of barrel?] that is clean & let it not be full by 7 or 8 ounces. & then take 3 lb. of ginger, 3 lb. of cinnamon, 1 quart of grains of paradise, a half ounce of nutmeg, & half a quart of cloves, 1 ounce of spikenard, 1 ounce of long pepper. Do all these together in at the bung: then take a stick and split it in four with a knife until the middle, that the wine & the powder may run through the stick until the powder is well mixed throughout the vessel. If the vessel be strong enough, let it roll [shake] well. & then let it take 6 gallons of honey well clarified, then do it into the pipe a little warm, & heat it therewith. Than take & fill up the pipe & close it well, & on the fourth day it is fine. For the coloring, take an ounce of saffron & roll [shake] it therewith.


7 Aqua vite: that is to seie, water of liif.
Fille the viol ful of lyes of strong wiyn, & putte therto these poudris: poudir of canel, of clowes, of gyngyuer, of notemugges, of galyngale, of quibibis, of greyn de parys, of longe peper, of blake peper: all these in powdir. Careawey, cirmunteyn, comyn, fenel, smallage, persile, sauge, myntis, ruwe, calamynte, origanum: and a half unce or moore or lasse, as thee likith. Pownd them a litil, for it will be the betir, & put hem to these poudris. Thanne sette thi glas on the fier, sett on the houel, & kepe it wel that the hete come not o it; & sette thervndir a viol, & kepe the watir.

7 Aqua vitae: that is to say, water of life.
Fill the viol full of liquid of strong wine, & add thereto these powders: powder of cinnamon, of cloves, of ginger, of nutmeg, of galingale, of quibibs [cubebs?], of grains of paradise, of long pepper, of black pepper: all these in powder. Caraway, cirmunteyn [?], cumin, fennel, smallage [?], persile [?], sage, mint, rue, calamynte [?], origanum [oregano?]: and a half ounce or more or less, as you like. Pound them a little, for it will be the better, & add these powders to it. Then set the glass [vial] on the fire, set on the hovel [distill hood?], & keep it well that the heat [steam] does not go out; & set there under a viol, & keep the water [distill].


8 Ad faciendum brakott.
Take xiiii galouns of good fyn ale that the grout therof be twies meischid, & put it into a stonen vessel. & lete it sonde iii daies or iiii, til it be stale. Afterward take a quart of fyne wort, half a quart of lyf hony; & sette it ouer the fier, & lete it sethe, & skyme it wel til it be cleer. & put therto a penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis, & sethe hem wel togidere til it boile. Take it doun & lete it kele, & poure out the clere thereof into the forseid vessel, & the groundis thereof put it into a bagge, into the porseid pot, & stoppe it wel with a lynnen clooth that noon eir come out; & put thereto newe berm, & stoppe it iii dayes or iiii eer thou drinke thereof. Put aqua ardente it among.

8 To make braggot.
Take 14 gallons of good fine ale that the wort thereof be twice used, & put it into a stone vessel. & let it stand 3 days or 4, until it is stale. Afterwards take a quart of fine wort, half a quart of live honey; & set it over the fire, & let it simmer, & skim well until it is clear. & put thereto a pennyworth of powder of pepper, & 1 pennyworth of powder of cloves, & simmer it well together until it boils. Take it down, & let it cool, & pour out the clear [liquid] thereof [decant] into the previously mentioned vessel [stone vessel], & the settlement thereof into a bag, into the mentioned pot [stone vessel], & close it well with a linen cloth that no air comes out; & put thereto new berm, & close it 3 days or 4 before you drink of it. Add aqua ardente to it.


9 To make mede. Take hony combis & put hem into a greet vessel & ley thereynne grete stickis, & ley the weight theron til it be runne out as myche as it wole; & this is called liif hony. & thanne take that forseid combis & sethe hem in clene water, & boile hem wel. After presse out thereof as myche as though may & caste it into another vessel into hoot water, & sethe it wel & scome it wel, & do therto a quarte of liif hony. & thanne lete it stone a fewe dayes wel stoppid, & tis is good drinke.

9 To make mead.
Take honey combs, and put them into a big vessel & lay in there big sticks, & lay the weight on it [of the combs] until it runs out as much as it would; & this is called life honey. & Then take those mentioned combs & simmer them in clean water [not hotter than your hands can take], & boil it well [the honey liquid, not the combs]. After press out of it [the combs] as much as you can & cast it [the liquid] into another vessel into hot water, & simmer it well, & scum it well, & do thereto a quart of life honey. & then let it stand a few days well closed up, & this is a good drink.


10 To make fyn meade & poynaunt.
Take xx galouns of the forseid pomys soden in iii galouns of fyn wort, & i galoun of liif hony & sethe hem wel & scome hem wel til thei be cleer enowgh; & put therto iii penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis & lete it boile wel togydere. & whanne it is coold put it into the vessel into the tunnynge up of the forseid mede; put it therto, & close it wel as it is aboue said.

10 To make fine mead & poignant.
Take 20 gallons of the previously mentioned pomys [honey liquid from combs of recipe 9] cooked in 3 gallons of fine wort, & take 1 gallon of life honey & simmer it well & scum it well until it is clear enough; & add to it 3 pennyworth powder of pepper & 1 pennyworth powder of cloves & let it boil well together. & when it is cold put it into the vessel of the barreled up previously mentioned mead [add it back into the barrel the 20 gallons came out off, depending on barrel size there could still be mead in there]; add it to it, & close it well as it is said before.

"b" changed for "th"
"3" changed for "gh"

Curye on Ingysch, English culinary manuscripts of the 14th century.
Constance B. Hieatt, Sharon Butler (ed). London: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Transcribed and translated by Susan Verberg, 2016.