Bragget

The Braggot is quite an old drink. There is a mention in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in the late 1300’s, and there are earlier references dating even further back to the 12th century in Ireland. Bragget is a liquor made of ale and honey fermented, with spices and herbs. Braggot is simply made by blending spices and herbs with mead and beer, to produce a strong concoction with uncommon flavors. Many taverns would make this blend right at the bar though brewers would also blend them as well.

Recipes for Bragget have not survived from before the Middle Ages. Bragget was still being made in 1669.

In the Miller's Tale, Chaucer describing Alison says:
'His mouth was sweete as brugat is or heth,
Or hoord of apples, layd in hay or nette.' C. T. 3261.

'Idromellum Mede.' Medulla. Bragget, drink, promulsis.' Manip. Vocab. The following recipe for making Bragget is given in Cogan's Haven of Health, p. 230:

'Take three or foure gallons of good ale, or more, as you please, two daies or three after it is cleansed, and put it in a potte by it selfe, then draw forth a pottel thereof, and put to it a quart of good English Hony, and set themouer the fire in a vessell, and let them boyle fair and softly, and alwaies as any froth ariseth, scumme it away and so clarifie it; and when it is well clarified, take it off the fire, and let it coole:and put thereto of Pepper a peny worth, Cloves, Mace, Ginger, Nutmegs, Cinamon, of each two penny worth beaten to powder, stir them well together, and set them ouer the fire to boyle againe a while, then being Milke-warme, put it to the rest, and stirre all together, " let it stand two or three daies, and put barme upon it, and drinke it at your pleasure.' Braggat is drunk on Mid-Lent Sunday, which is hence called Braggat Sunday.

In Lancashire 'Spised cakes and wafurs worthily Withe bragot and methe.'

John Russell's Boke of Nurture (1460), in the Babees' Book, eil. Furnivall, p. 55, 1. 816. Another recipe for Bragget is as follows:

'Take to x galons of ale, iij potell of fine wort, and iij quartis ofhony, and putt thereto canell 3, iiij, peper schort or longe 3, iiij, galin gale 3, j, and clowys 3, j, and gingiver 3, ij.' MS. 14th Century.

Taylor, in Drink and Welcome, 1637, A 3, back, says of Braggot, ' This drinke is of a most hot nature, as being composd of Spices, and if it once scale the sconce, and enter within the circumclusion of the Perricranion, it doth much accelerate nature, by whose forcible attraction and operation, the drinker (by way of distribution) is easily enabled to afford blowes to his brother.'