Hypocras is a spiced red wine drink. It can be made in a number of way. Here is a surprisingly exact recipe from 1577. The recipe says it is a very old Greek recipe. I am pretty sure I have read that elsewhere as well.
This recipe is from “Lægebog : I-VI” af Henrik Smith, 1577.
Somme giøre denne Drick saaledis/ Du tage fire lodt god Canel/ tu lodt Ingefær/ it lodt Paradiskorn/ it halfft lodt galliga/ Neglicker/ Muscate nøder/ Cubeber/ Cardemommme/ af hvert halffandet qvintin/ dem støde de smaa til pulver/ af disse Urter saaledis støtte tage de it lodt til hver halvlanden potte Vin/ oc it halfft pund sucker meller eller mindre/ effter som de ville at samme Ipocras skal vere god sterck oc sød til/ de blande oc Vinen Urterne oc Sucker tilsammen kaalde/ oc lade det saa løbe iginnen en Viden klarete seck/ der til besynderlige gjort.
Denne Drick er en lystig oc kaastelig Drick til gamle Mennisker/ oc serdelis som Vinteren om Morgenen fastendis drucket/ styrcker oc varmer den kaalde Maffve/ er oc god for Hiertens oc alle Seners kaalde Siugdomme/ Denne Drick skulle uge mennisker icke bruge for sin hede skyld”
Smith has two recipes, this is the second one. See the other one here – it is much simpler.
For your convenience I have re-calculated the measurements to teaspoons since most of us do not have a really accurate kitchen scales. You should see the Excel sheet.
All the spices are ground measurements. If they are not ground please do that in a morter. 1 teaspoon is 2,5 grams of most spices.
- Category: Antiquity, Drinks and beverages, Historical cooking, Medieval, Renaissance
Ingredients
- 5 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon Cubeb pepper (Piper cubeba)
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Galangal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Ginger
- 2 bottles of red wine
- 235 grams sugar
Instructions
- Mix the spices and the wine
- Let it sit
- Strain the spices out of the wine
- Bottled it should keep well