Spice & Herb

Cloves, Ginger and Rosemary Flowers Infused in Wine

Cloves, Ginger and Rosemary Flowers Infused in Wine — illustration
Illustration — a stand-in until there's a photo of the real thing.

Source Maison Rustique (Charles Estienne & Jean Liebault, L'Agriculture et Maison Rustique, 1564; English trans. Richard Surflet 1600 / Gervase Markham 1616), via Alcoholic Drinks of the Middle Ages (Complete Anachronist #60) by Marc Shapiro — original

Ingredients

  • equal parts of cloves
  • ginger
  • flowers of rosemary
  • very good wine
  • sugar (added when drinking)

Method

  1. Take equal parts of cloves, ginger, and fowers of rosemary, infuse them in very good wine the space of eight days: distil the whole.
  2. This water comforteth the stomacke, assuageth the pains and wringings of the belly, killeth worms, and maketh fat folk to becom leane, or maketh fat the leane, if they drink it mixt with sugar.

Notes

  • Possible source of the ubiquitous "Stevens water" attribution.

This recipe predates 1700 and is quoted from its original printed source. Spelling is left exactly as printed.