Brandy

This recipe originates from the manuscript 'V.a.669', dated 1680, a period when household manuals combined medicine, cookery, and the making of cordials and spirits as daily domestic arts. Home distillation was common in upper-class English households, reflecting both a taste for spirits and a belief in their medicinal virtues. The inclusion of spices like cinnamon and florals such as damask rose water and cowslip evokes the luxury goods of the time, as exotic spices and floral waters were both status symbols and believed to have health benefits. This particular recipe, attributed to Mr. Nevil of Holbeck, showcases a refined 'aqua vitae', blending culinary pleasures with herbal lore.

Seventeenth-century makers would use a copper or pewter alembic still, often fitted over an open hearth or a bed of embers to control the delicate heat needed for distillation. Glass or earthenware jars would be used for infusions, while a strainer or linen cloth aided in separating botanicals from liquids. The process relied on slow, careful heat and patience to preserve the flavors and aromas of the precious spices and florals. Today, a modern countertop still or a simple bain-marie (water bath) can be used to replicate gentle distillation. Glass jars with tight lids, measuring spoons, and fine sieves would round out your contemporary toolkit.