Pass the Water…Umm…okay, Pass the Wine?

Did you know that in as late as Victorian times water was considered dangerous? In fact, one of the main causes of death in children was tainted water. Adults avoided a similar fate by mixing wine with their water—nothing like a little alcohol to kill the germs! So, if you eliminate plain water, what was left?

We often read of Darcy enjoying a brandy, Mr. Bennet having some port or sherry, or everyone drinking a glass of wine with their dinner. Tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate were non-alcoholic options—particularly in more affluent homes, but the rich comprised only a small fraction of the population. Servants and the lower classes required something to drink and tea was an expensive commodity many could not afford. Servants drank tea brewed from what was left after the mistress of the house served the family and her guests, but what else did the servants drink?

Many of us are familiar with beer and ale, but did you know they were usually made in one’s own house? The wealthy would hire a brewer who would reside at the estate for a month as he brewed several hundred gallons for the family with hops and malt purchased from local merchants. This person would not only brew the higher quality ale for the master of the house, but also the weaker version for the servants. Some great houses even had pipes that ran throughout the servant’s area below stairs. These pipes were part of an elaborate system that brought the ale from the drums to the kitchen and other areas to be served.

Small Beer, which was also referred to as ‘small ale’, ‘common beer’, and ‘rot gut’, was the low alcohol ale often drank by the servants of the house. On average, servants consumed a minimum of a quart of beer a day, and due to such heavy consumption as well as a short shelf-life, that particular mixture was brewed often over the course of a year.

Porter was a dark brown beer brewed from toasted malt. It had a “modest” alcohol content. Porters and laborers were said to drink it for strength and often cost around two pence. Though this type of beer originated in England and was likely popular due to its low cost, it is not widely consumed these days, much to my husband’s chagrin.

Gin was cheap alcohol in those days and was called such names as: Madame Geneva, Strip-me-naked, and Blue Ruin. Since it was more than fifty percent alcohol by volume, a man could get well into his cups for as little as a penny. Two-pence could render one in need of a bed of straw to sleep off its effects.

Rum was the other hard liquor common during this time as whiskey was virtually unknown. As this particular drink was imported, duties to the government were to be paid before a drop could be sold, so rum for the lower classes was often mixed with something else. For example, sailors often drank Grog, which consisted of rum, water, and lime juice; however, the wealthy would use rum in punches comprised of water, rum, citrus juice, sugar, and spices.

Punches was commonly imbibed during this time, and quite a few recipes can be found for different versions. A recipe for common punch was thirty-six peeled lemons, two pounds sugar, three quarts sherbet, a pint of brandy, and a pint of rum. Gin could be used in the place of brandy and rum, but gin was not as popular as brandy and rum.

Other variations of punches included-

 

  • Negus – Wine or port, boiling water, lemon, sugar, and grated nutmeg heated. Some recipes include calves foot jelly (Yuck!).
  • Ratafia – Punch flavored with the pits of fruits such as peaches, plums, or apricots. The object was to have it taste of bitter almonds.
  • Arrack – Distilled juice of a coconut palm.
  • Ramfustian – A dozen whisked eggs, a quart of strong beer, a pint of gin, a bottle of sherry, nutmeg, sugar, and lemon rind. This resembles what we today think of as Egg Nog, which according to my research was once also referred to in England as Egg Flip.
  • Regent’s punch – Two bottles of Madeira, three of champagne, one of Curacao and hock, one pint of rum, one quart of brandy, four pounds of oranges, lemons and raisins sweetened with sugar, two bottles of seltzer water. It could be diluted with green tea.

 

Madeira was quite fashionable in Regency England. This vintage was a sweet fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name. Madeira was matured in the hull of a ship as it sailed near the equator, the heat of the trip providing it with a distinctive flavor. No one is sure why the wine was not ruined from the maturation process.

Port was another wine imported from Portugal and often drank by the men after the ladies departed the dining room. The host would bring out the decanter, pour himself glass, and pass the bottle to his left (the port side), where that gentleman would pour his glass and pass the decanter again swiftly before he was deemed rude by the remainder of the guests.

Now that we’ve had an overview of some common drinks for the wealthy and not so wealthy, what are your favorite drinks during the holiday season? Do you drink hot tea? Do you favor mulled wine or cider? Or does your family have a special recipe for punch that you enjoy this time of year?

 

 

Sources:
Copeland, Edward. The Cambridge Edition of Pride and Prejudice. Cambridge University Press. 2006. Pg. 459.
Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen and Food. Hambledon (1995). Pg. 70.
Martin, Joanna. Wives and Daughters. Hambledon Continuum (2004). Pg. 160.
Olsen, Kirstin. Cooking with Jane Austen. Greenwood Press (2005). Pp. 366-368.
Shapard, David M. The Annotated Pride and Prejudice. Pheasant Books (2003). Pg. 143.
Shapard, David M. The Annotated Emma. Anchor Books (2012). Pg. 651
Sullivan, Margaret C. The Jane Austen Handbook. Quirk Books (2007). Pg. 146.
Wiltshire, John. The Cambridge Edition of Mansfield Park. Cambridge University Press (2005). Pg. 659.
http://www. janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/the-wassailing-of-trees/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/victorianchristmas/activity/wassail-punch.shtml
http://www.intowine.com/madeira.html

Images from Wikimedia Commons
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Cognac_glasses#/media/File:Cognac_served_in_a_brandy_snifter_-_Evan_Swigart_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Porter#/media/File:Flickr_-_cyclonebill_-_Porter_%282%29.jpg

 

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  1. Enjoyed the article. I do drink hot tea. I have not tried any of the beverages mentioned. I would give them a try if in the area.

    1. I’m not certain how many of the punch recipes are still made, but I have tried port, mulled wine and mulled cider. I prefer mulled wine and cider to port. Thanks, Patty!

    • Glynis on December 28, 2015 at 2:32 am
    • Reply

    I am so glad I didn’t live then because my usual drink is water. I do enjoy Earl Grey tea and coffee and I like white wine spritzer or elderflower cider occasionally but I don’t often drink anything stronger so I’m not sure how I would have surv

      • Glynis on December 28, 2015 at 2:35 am
      • Reply

      Sorry not sure what happened there. I was going to say I’m not sure how I would have survived if I had to drink gin which was 50% alcohol!!! Thanks for another great post Leslie.

    1. It’s funny what comes up during tours. It was an “under the stairs” tour at Wimpole where they showed us the piping for the ale, discussed the brewmaster who would come in, and how the water was tainted. It was what piqued my curiosity. I hurt if I don’t drink enough water and tea and coffee don’t substitute. I would be in big trouble if I lived back then! Thanks, Glynis!

    • Michelle on December 28, 2015 at 4:40 am
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    I drink lots of tea in particular English Breakfast Tea and Redbush tea. I love sparkling white wine and i do like gin especially a Gin Royale!!

    1. I love Moscato. That is my favourite, but not very popular in the UK yet. I do find a bottle from time to time here, but Prosecco is more popular. Thanks, Michelle!

    • Rosa on December 28, 2015 at 5:30 am
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    Very interesting, thanks! In France when you have a cold or a sore throat, you can make yourself a grog, mixture of rum, hot water and citrus juice. How interesting to learn it was drank by sailors!

    1. Interesting that it’s used for colds and sore throats! Thanks, Rosa!

    • Deborah on December 28, 2015 at 6:10 am
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    Thank you for the informative post. I do enjoy a glass of wine, port and a stout beer here and there. Water with lemon and coffee are my staple drinks.

  2. I drink mostly water and coffee too. I do enjoy a glass of wine or two on occasion though. Port was interesting to try, but not something I wanted to drink a lot of. Thanks, Deborah!

    • Carole in Canada on December 28, 2015 at 9:49 am
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    This was a fascinating post! I recently saw a program on one of the educational channels about the Victorian homes and how ‘deadly’ they could be…ie…flocked wallpaper made with arsenic, lead in children’s toys, corsets squeezing the organs, and the worst for me were the milk bottles that had a tube to feed babies. No wonder mortality rates were so high!

    As for what we like to drink during the holidays, a glass of wine is about it. I do like mulled wine but have never made it myself. When I feel a sore throat or cold coming on, a hot cup of tea with a shot of rum in it seems to help ward off the worst of it. It’s probably all in my head though! LOL!

    Happy New Year to all!

    1. There were the medicines and creams with arsenic and mercury as well. Have you ever looked up Gowland’s lotion? Yeesh! 🙂 Thanks, Carole!

    • Cheryl C. on December 28, 2015 at 9:51 am
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    Ah, too bad John Snow wasn’t around earlier…dysentery and cholera are water born diseases spread by contaminated water…I’m thankful that we now have better hygiene! We drive coffee and tea daily, but around the holidays we enjoy eggnog with blackberry brandy, wine, and holiday beers…

    1. Blackberry brandy sounds interesting. I’ve never had that. I’ll have to look for it. Thanks, Cheryl!

    • Jennifer Redlarczyk on December 28, 2015 at 9:58 am
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    Gosh, and water is one of my favorite drinks. Well, I did read that in the day, everything was dumped into the Thames River. Can you imagine drinking that? Gag. As for booze … Me and the spirits don’t mix. I’m loopy as a normal state of blondness or something. Thanks.

    1. We joked about what was in the Thames when my son spit in it from the bridge by the Parliament building (Big Ben). It is definitely not a clean river when you’re in London–that is for certain! Thanks, Jen!

    • rae on December 28, 2015 at 11:10 am
    • Reply

    But the question remains, what did the children drink? Especially the poor? They were nursed until maybe 3 years old….but then what?

    1. I would imagine since tainted water caused a great deal of child death, many children drank water. I would imagine the wealthy ensured their children drank tea or milk as much as possible. Since adults mixed wine and water, they might have done so with the children as well. Just guesses, but I haven’t found anything to indicate what children drank other than what I’ve mentioned. Thanks, rae!

    • Hollis on December 28, 2015 at 11:55 am
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    I drink Earl Grey or English Breakfast in the morning, but at mealtime, it is mostly iced tea, but then I live in Texas where you are asked “sweet or un-sweet” when ordering at casual restaurants. Wine, I can take a sip but that is all. During Christmas, we will make a hot ‘cider’ drink of apple juice, cinnamon sticks and a candy called “red hots” and run it through a percolator (large coffee machine) or just cook it in a large stock pot and ladle it into cups. extra good when cold.

    1. I’m very familiar with sweet tea! I’m a southern girl, so I grew up with the stuff. My sister-in-law makes a wassail from apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and a few other spices, but I’ve never heard of something similar with red hots. It’s interesting. We would put red hots on the Christmas cookies. 🙂 Thanks, Hollis!

  3. I drink a pot of hot tea every morning–about 24 ounces all together. I don’t like strong tea, so I use one bag of Irish Breakfast Tea from Trader Joe’s and one bag of fruit-flavored black tea, usually St. Dalfour’s Organic Strawberry Tea. When I run out of my stash of French tea from Amazon (as I am now), I use Trader Joe’s Ginger Pear Organic White Tea. I heat water in a kettle on the stove until just before boiling, and then pour into the pot with the two tea bags in it and steep for the rest of the morning while I drink the tea cup by cup. I use a tea cozy to keep the pot (clear glass) and its beloved contents warm.

    Other than my pot of tea, I drink water with several drops of grapefruit essential oil–both refreshing and detoxifying!

    Enjoy the Third Day of Christmastide!

    Warmly,
    Susanne

    1. Tea is usually more of an evening drink for me. I do enjoy some Yorkshire tea in the mornings sometimes. Yorkshire is a bit like a strong English Breakfast tea. Thanks, Susanne!

    • Nicole B on December 28, 2015 at 2:35 pm
    • Reply

    I prefer mulled cider for the holidays myself. I do remember a story from the filming of the African Queen where Katherine Hepburn was ill from drinking the water and just kept drinking more of it, and Bogie and Houston were fine since they only drank whiskey!

    1. Oh, the story about Katherine Hepburn is interesting. If the men weren’t drinking whiskey, they were probably drinking coffee, so the water would’ve been boiled. Thanks, Nicole!

    • Sarah on January 1, 2016 at 10:58 pm
    • Reply

    I had no idea it was all so complex!

  1. […] Pass the Water…Umm…okay, Pass the Wine? by Leslie L. Diamond, on Austen Variations […]

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