History Cookbook: Hippocras (Hippocrace, Hippocrass)

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This spiced wine was cooked gently at the edge of the fire to let the spices mingle with the wine.  In unheated Tudor houses, hot drinks were popular and there are many recipes for different mulled drinks. 

Sugar was an expensive luxury and was bought as a loaf. Pieces were chipped off and ground up when needed. Poorer households would use honey to sweeten food and drinks. Bees could be kept in straw skeps.

Spices were imported and very expensive, small quantities are used to make this drink very special.

For pictures of the cooking process see our Hippocras Picture Gallery.

• red wine
• star anise
• cinnamon powdered
• ginger powdered
• nutmeg powdered
• honey
• orange and apple slices

• Pot
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Wooden spoon

1. Set the pipkin by the fire to warm
2. Put the wine in the pot
3. Add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger and nutmeg and allow to infuse
4. Add the slices of orange and apple
5. Sweeten with honey
6. Serve warm with sweetmeats at the end of a meal