To Make China Ale
From the treasured pages of Receipt book of Sarah Longe
Written by Sarah Longe
To Make China Ale
"Take 2 bushells of mault, and make a firkin of alwoud of it, then take 3 quarters of a pound of stord Raisins and halfe an ounice of China, root sliecd, and halfe an ounce of Coriander, a blade or two of mace 4 doure bouyle all these 3 hours, and when it is allmost cold worke it, & let it stand 4 or 5 days in the vessell, then bottle it, putting into every bottle a good lumpe of Loafe sugar & it will worke."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe is written in early 17th-century English using non-standardized spelling and punctuation; for example, 'mault' is 'malt', 'alwoud' likely means 'ale-wort' (unfermented beer), and 'China' refers not to porcelain but to the root of Smilax china, a medicinal plant. The structure is instructive and sequential but omits certain details—quantities are sometimes vague, and procedural language assumes familiarity with brewing methods. Spelling of words like 'bouyle' (boil), 'worke' (start fermentation), and 'vessell' (fermentation vessel) illustrate the fluid English orthography of the period.
Title
Receipt book of Sarah Longe (1610)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Sarah Longe
Era
1610
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful glimpse into early 17th-century kitchens, this collection by Sarah Longe whisks readers through ancestral recipes, cooking tips, and the seasonings that graced the tables of Jacobean England. Prepare to savor the tastes and traditions of times gone by.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from a household recipe book written by Sarah Longe around 1610 in England, a time when domestic brewing was commonplace. 'China Ale' refers here to a medicinal or spiced ale infused with imported, exotic ingredients, including 'China root', a rhizome from Asia valued for its supposed health benefits. This style of recipe reflects both the tastes for aromatic, spiced drinks and the intersection of culinary and medicinal traditions in early modern English homes. Such recipes were recorded by women as part of household management and domestic medicine, handed down through families and often including local adaptations or international influences.
Originally, this ale would have been brewed using large wooden tubs for mashing the malt, a kettle or cauldron over an open fire for boiling, a strainer or sieve for separating solids, and wooden barrels or earthenware vessels for fermenting and storing the ale. Bottling would have involved heavy glass bottles and hand-rolled stoppers or corks, with sugar lumps hand-broken from conical 'loaf sugar'. All work would have been done by hand, often in the brewhouse or kitchen outbuilding, with careful attention paid to maintaining correct temperatures by feel.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Servings
120
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 121 lb malted barley (for mash/wort)
- 9 gal water (to produce one firkin of ale)
- 12 oz stoned raisins
- 0.5 oz sliced dried China root (Smilax china; substitute dried sarsaparilla or omit if unavailable)
- 0.5 oz coriander seeds
- 1–2 blades of mace
- ale yeast (for fermentation)
- rock/castor/loaf sugar, about 0.35–0.5 oz per bottle (for bottling)
Instructions
- To make China Ale, start by mashing about 121 pounds of malted barley (enough for two bushels) with water to produce wort, aiming for approximately 9 gallons (one firkin) of yield.
- Boil the wort and add 12 ounces of stoned raisins, 0.5 ounce of sliced dried 'China root' (Smilax china; can substitute with dried sarsaparilla or omit if unavailable), 0.5 ounce of coriander seeds, and 1–2 blades of mace.
- Boil for three hours.
- Allow the mixture to cool until it is just warm to the touch, then add yeast to start fermentation.
- Let it ferment for 4-5 days in a fermentation vessel.
- Once fermentation calms, carefully bottle the ale, placing a generous lump (about 0.35–0.5 ounce) of loaf sugar into each bottle to encourage a secondary fermentation and fizz.
Estimated Calories
120 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients and set up the equipment. The wort then boils for 3 hours. This recipe makes about 41 liters of ale, enough for around 120 servings (based on a typical British half-pint, about 340 ml). Each serving contains around 120 calories.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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