To Make Surfeit Water

This recipe comes from Mary Cruso's 1689 manuscript collection, a time when 'cordial waters' or 'surfeit waters' were popular in England. Such recipes were crafted as household remedies against overindulgence or 'surfeit'—they were believed to aid digestion, lift spirits, and ward off the aftereffects of feasting. These potent botanical mixtures were typically prepared by women, demonstrating their role as family caregivers and healers. The inclusion of both common kitchen herbs and rare botanicals reflects the era's blend of everyday practicality and herbal sophistication. Recipes like this belong to the tradition of early modern English 'physic'—the intersection of cookery and medicine.

In the late 17th century, preparation would have required a large stoneware crock or wooden tub for steeping the herbs with ale, a pestle and mortar for bruising seeds and roots, sharp knives for slicing roots, and a large linen cloth or hair sieve for straining. The distillation process called for an alembic or copper still, heated by a wood or charcoal fire. Glass bottles were used for storage, sealed with corks and sometimes wax. The sugar-candy, broken into small lumps, went into each bottle at the final stage to gently sweeten and preserve the cordial.