The recipes are taken from A Queens Delight, to give a sample of the types of drink that were made using whisky as a base. The first makes a drink suspiciously similar to Drambuie – which uses Chivas Regal as its base. I suspect they now omit the whale vomit. We did. We showcased our attempts at the first two in the brewing competition at the 15th Australian Historical Conference, Castle Mountain in 2009.
We brewed a convincingly strong grain-only beer as the base and sent it off for professional distillation by someone who could work out the paperwork and excise. The returned clear spirit was raw, fiery and in the high 20s% ABV. This was about the best attempt we could do at a 17th century whisky. Cheap Vodka, Aquavit or Schnapps is probably the closest alternative if you want to try some of these without brewing and distilling your own. Look for the rawest, most brutal firewater you can get our hands on.
“Usquebath the best way” is most excellent and highly drinkable with a severe headache in every bottle. Go gently and share it with lots of friends.
To make Usquebath the best way.
Take two quarts of the best Aqua vitæ, four ounces of scraped liquorish, and half a pound of sliced Raisins of the Sun, Anniseeds four ounces, Dates and Figs, of each half a pound, sliced Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, of each half an ounce, put these to the Aqua vitæ, stop it very close, and set it in a cold place ten dayes, stirring it twice a day with a stick, then strain and sweeten it with Sugar-candy; after it is strained, let it stand till it be clear, then put into the glass Musk and Ambergreece; two grains[1] is sufficient for this quantity.
A Cordial Water of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Take a gallon of Strawberries, and put them into a pint of Aqua vitæ, let them stand for four or five days, strain them gently out, and sweeten the water as you please with fine Sugar; or else with perfume.
The Lady Malets Cordial Water.
Take a pound of fine Sugar beaten and put to it a quart of running water, pour it three or four times through a bag; then put a pint of Damask Rose-water, which you must always pour still through the bag, then four penniworth[2] of Angelica water, four pence in Clovewater, four pence of Rosa Solis, one pint of Cinnamon-water, or three pints and a half Aqua vitæ, as you find it in taste; put all these together three or four times through the bag or strainer, and then take half an ounce of good Muskallis and cut them grosly, & put them into a glass, and fill them with the water, &c.
A Water excellent good against the Plague.
Take three pints of Malmsey, or Muscadine, of Sage and Rue, of each one handful, boil them together gently to one pint, then strain it and set it on the fire again, and put to it one penniworth of Long Pepper, Ginger four drams[3], Nutmegs two drams, all beaten together, then let it boil a little, take it off the fire, and while it is very hot, dissolve therein six penniworth of Mithridate, and three penniworth of Venice Treacle, and when it is almost cold put to it a pint of strong Angelica water, or so much Aqua vitæ, and so keep it in a glass close stopped.
A Cordial Cherry-water.
Take a pottle[4] of Aqua vitæ, two ounces of ripe Cherries stoned, Sugar one pound, twenty four Cloves, one stick of Cinamon, three spoonfuls of aniseeds bruised, let these stand in the Aqua vitæ fifteen days, and when the water hath fully drawn out the tincture, pour it off into another glass for your use, which keep close stopped, the Spice and the Cherries you may keep, for they are very good for winde in the Stomach.
The Herbs to be distilled for Usquebath.
Take Agrimony, Fumitory, Betony, Bugloss, Wormwood, Harts-tongue, Carduus Benedictus, Rosemary, Angelica, Tormentil, of each of these for every gallon of Ale one handful, Anniseed, and Liquorish well bruised half a pound, still these together, and when it is stilled, you must infuse Cinamon, Nutmeg, Mace, Liquorish, Dates, and Raisins of the Sun, and sugar what quantity you please. The infusion must be till the colour please you.
A Receipt to make damnable Hum.
Take Species de Gemmis, Aromaticum Rosatum, Diarrhodon Abbatis, Lætificans Galeni, of each four drams, Loaf-sugar beaten to powder half a pound, small Aqua Vitæ three Pints, strong Angelica water one pint; mix all these together, and when you have drunk it to the Dregs, you may fill it up again with the same quantity of water. The same powders will serve twice, and after twice using it, it must be made new again.
A Surfeit Water.
Take half a bushel of red Corn Poppy, put it into a large dish, cover it with brown Paper, and lay another dish upon it, set it in an Oven after brown bread is baked divers times till it be dry, which put into a pottle of good Aqua vitæ, to which put Raisins of the sun stoned half a pound, six figs sliced, three Nutmegs sliced, two flakes of Mace bruised, two races of Ginger sliced, one stick of Cinnamon bruised, Liquorish sliced one ounce, Aniseed, Fennil-seed, and Cardamums bruised, of each one dram; put all these into a broad glass body, and lay first some Poppy in the bottom, then some of the other ingredients, then Poppy again, and so untill the Glass be full; then put in the Aqua vitæ, and let it infuse till it be strong of the spices, and very red with the Poppy, close covered, of which take two or three spoonfuls upon a surfeit, and when all the liquor is spent, put more Aqua vitæ to it, and it will have the same effect the second time, but no more after.
A most Excellent Aqua Coelestis taught by Mr. Philips Apothecary.
Take of Cinamon one dram, Ginger half a dram, the three sorts of Saunders, of each of them three quarters of an ounce, Mace and cubebs, of each of them one dram, Cardamom the bigger and lesser, of each three drams, Setwall-roots half an ounce, Anniseed, Fennil-seed Basil-seed, of each two drams, Angelica roots, Gilly-flowers, hyme, Calamint, Liquorish, Calamus, Masterwort, Pennyroyal, Mint, Mother of Thyme, arjoram, of each two drams, red Rose-seed, the flowers of Sage and Betony, of each a ram and a half, Cloves, Galingal, Nutmegs, of each two drams, the flowers of Stechados, Rosemary, Borage and Bugloss flowers, of each a dram and half, Citron Rindes three drams; bruise them all, and put in these Cordial Powders, Diamber Aromaticum, Diamascum, Diachoden, the Spices made with Pearl, of each three drams; infuse all these in twelve pints of Aqua Vitæ; in a glass, close stopped for fifteen dayes, often shaking it, then let it be put into a Limbeck close stopped, and let it be distilled gently; when you have done, hang in a cloth, two drams of Musk, half a dram of Ambergreese, and ten or twelve grains of gold, and so receive it to your use.
The Lady Giffords cordial Water.
Take four quarts of Aqua vitæ, Borrage and Poppy-water, of each a pint, two pounds of Sugar-candy, one pound of figs sliced, one pound of Raisins of the Sun stoned, two handfuls of red Roses clipped and dried, one handful of red Mint, half a handful of Rosemary, as much of Hysop, a few Cloves; put all these in a great double Glass close stopped, and set it in the sun three months, and so use it.
Brooke, N., A Queens Delight; or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Royal Exchange, 1671.
Further Reading
A-Z of Scotch Whisky Information http://www.scotchwhisky.net/history.php
The Scotch Whisky Association http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/
The Whiskey Guide http://www.thewhiskyguide.com
Whiskey http://www.whisky.com
Digby, K., The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Knight Opened, 1669
Brooke, N., A Queens Delight; or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Royal Exchange, 1671.
[1] Grain (gr) = 64.8 mg
[2] Penniweight/pence (dwt) = 1.56g
[3] Dram (dr), one sixteenth of an ounce = 27.34g
[4] A two-quart bottle = 2.27l
The Reverend's Musings 