Mulled wine

Today just happens to National Mulled Wine Day. I am very much of the opinion that mulled wine is delicious and should be imbibed the whole winter through, rather than just today. But especially today. Upon investigation it turns out that mulled wine has a very long history that stretches all the way back to antiquity, claiming its heritage from the old Greek drink ypocras or hippocras (there was no standardisation of spelling in those days) said to have been invented by Hippocrates. Back in the day, sanitisation was poor and so few people avoided drinking the water if possible, preferring to imbibe wine and other 'clean' drinks, such as the prevalent small beer of medieval Europe. Although hippocras bears little resemblance to mulled wine as we know it today, it was still heavily spiced, laying the groundwork for later change. 

Hippocras recipe from  A Noble Book of Festes Royalle and Cokery (London: 1500)

There's seems to be some contention regarding how mulled wine got it's name. Some claim that it derives from the word muddled, which in the fifteenth century was often used to mean drunk, whilst others state that the word mulled literally meant heated or spiced. Either seem equally plausible, so the jury's out on that one. What is certain is that the drink became very popular as time passed, and derivatives of it sprang up all over northern Europe  where the winter chill was keenly felt.

Classic mulled wine

There are countless variations of this drink, but I have spent all winter perfecting my own personal recipe for the perfect glass of mulled wine and I shall provide it here;

2 bottles of cheap red wine

1/3 bottle of ginger wine

150g brown sugar

1 orange

1 lemon

6 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Epic amounts of wine

1. Chop the oranges and lemons into segments and add to the pot, juicing them slightly. Add the cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar and a few splashes of wine, just enough to cover the other ingredients.

2. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved (usually take 2-3 minutes).

3. Add the rest of the wine and the ginger wine and continue to heat gently until warmed through. Serve immediately.

It smelled so delicious the camera had an emotional moment

So, to celebrate mulled wine day with me I would recommend nothing more than having a glass or two or this sweet sweet nectar. Enjoy ^_^

Cold Remedies

Winter is notorious for colds and flu. It is common knowledge that there is no cure for the common cold, you pretty much just have to ride it out, mucus, headaches and all. You can, however, dose yourself with different drugs and homoeopathic remedies that are said to help alleviate the various symptoms of cold & flu, to make the duration of your illness just that little bit more manageable. The actual performance of these cold remedies can vary massively, so in honour of Hot Toddy Day & Hot Tea Month, I will test some of these reputedly remedial drinks, and judge them on both their taste and effectiveness. I don't believe I have tried any of these drinks before, so this will be my introduction to them all. I will try to be as unbiased as possible, but ill brain does not always do as it's told.

So let us begin with the Hot Toddy. The origins of this drink are unclear, however it seems most likely that it was invented in Scotland in the 18th century as a drink for women, who tended not to be keen on the rough taste of the scotch during this period. The contents of this drink are only very loosely defined, and so presumably the taste and supposed health benefits can vary wildly from Toddy to Toddy. Although unproven, it is claimed the a Hot Toddy can soothe a sore throat and dry cough, and work as a sedative. I chose to make mine with the below ingredients, and I used this recipe courtesy of about.com;

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 oz brandy, whiskey, or rum
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tea bag

Preparation:

1. Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey.
2. Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter.
3. On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea.
4. Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.

Verdict:

We chose rum, it being the preferred short of everyone present. The tea used was (unsurprisingly) Yorkshire tea, a good strong blend. I also chose to just put an unjuiced small lemon slice in each cup, so each person could choose how lemony they wanted their drink to be, and added a clove to each cup while steeping for flavour. This drink went down well with with all, my dad included n.b. My dad notoriously hates all alcoholic drinks that are not a standard pint of lager, and so for him to offer this drink praise is a notable gold star worthy of mention for the benefit of hot toddys everywhere. My boyfriend Tom also tends to hate all warmed drinks, preferring just to drink a couple of pints of water every few hours (not for any specific health reasons, just as a straightforward, hassle-free way of avoiding dehydration)and he also gave it a thumbs up. Tom has had a terrible cough recently, and I did notice that this drink did significantly calm his cough down for up to an hour afterwards. Upon further experimentation, it seems as though this drink works well with pretty much any combination of suggested ingredients.  Plus, it was nice and easy to prepare & had a lovely taste :) 8/10

Dad's seal of approval

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Tea Tasting Round 2

In keeping with the remedial theme of this post, today's teas have been chosen not for their professed ability to stave off a cold, but for having the same flavourings as Lemsip medicinal drinks. Lateral thinking or ill brain malfunction, you decide! Blackcurrant tea went first; what I could smell of it through my bunged up nose was lovely, but when sipped it had a rather bland and uninteresting taste. This drink can apparently help in the prevention and treatment of diseases as serious as asthma and cancer(!) It did seem to stop me from sniffling quite so much, but that could easily be attributed to an increase in core body temperatures or any other of a number of factors, so I remain unconvinced. It maybe would have been nicer sweetened with honey or something similarly sugary, but I am not accustomed to sweetening my teas so I didn't bother. I'm in no rush to have another cup. 4/10

My cup of citrus tea again had a pleasant and reassuringly strong lemony smell. But after my earlier disappointment with the blackcurrant tea, I remained wary. It tasted acceptable enough, but  it was nothing special, unfortunately. I found no noticeable change in myself after finishing my drink, remaining as mildly ill as ever. Lemon tea can reputedly help to cleanse the body and energise the mind, very broad claims which make me immediately distrustful. All other health claims seem to mirror those of Green tea, which ultimately I find to be a nicer and more enjoyable drink. I think I'll stick to eating my citrus, thanks. 6/10