Honey Water (Hydromel)

Translation: Hydromel: Rain water and honey boiled down to one third. (Apicius pp. 288)

“Some people make a superior version by preparing the honey water in the following way: The finest ripe apples are chopped up and have their juice extracted; 4 pints of juice and 8 pints of the finest honey, mixed with 12 pints of rain water, and after being warmed in the sun, a fire is used to simmer gently. People use a double copper pan so that is boiled over water rather then directly over the fire as in Beroia.” <Bassus Country Matter> (Grant pp. 82)

Another suggestion for the making of Hydromel was to use only water and honey. “One part honey to 2 parts water.” < Pliny, Naturalis historia 14, 113> If it was served as soon as it was made it was called aqua mulsa subita; if aged it as called aqua mulsa inverterata “took on the flavor of wine.” <Pliny> Herklotz pp. 197

Redaction:

1 cup of apple juice
2 cups of honey
3 cups of water

Mix all the ingredients, together in a pot. Any apple juice will work but period wise they didn't filter their apple juice to the see through clarity we have today. So don't worry if there is a bit of opaqueness to the juice if you're going to use organic.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

Leave to cool untill you can handle the sides of the pot with your bare hand. Then pour into a bottle.

You can refrigerate before serving, but this is not required. The Romans did have access to ice but at ruinous expense that only the very wealthy could afford, i.e. Emperor Nero rich. The refrigerating process will delay any fermentation though not eradicate your chances of ending up with some thing alcoholic over time.

This drink is a little sweet. It might be better to cut the apple juice and honey mixture with more water to the brewers taste. The fermented version of this produces a light and very bubbly desert wine. The author found this out by opening a bottle of hydromel 2 weeks later from the refrigerator and finding a very sweet and crisp bubbling light wine.