CHAPTER I_The Flowing Bowl A Treatise on Drinks of All Kinds and of All Periods, Interspersed with Sundry Anecdotes and Reminiscences

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THE FLOWING BOWL, By EDWARD SPENCER

* * * * * *

_By the Same Author_

CAKES AND ALE

A Memory of many Meals; the

whole interspersed with various

Recipes, more or less original,

and Anecdotes, mainly veracious.

THIRD EDITION

Small Crown 8vo, Cloth, 2s.

_Cover designed by Phil May_

THE GREAT GAME

AND HOW IT IS PLAYED

A Treatise on the Turf,

full of Tales

Small Crown 8vo, cloth, 2s.

LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS

* * * * * *

THE FLOWING BOWL

A Treatise on Drinks of All Kinds and of

All Periods, Interspersed with Sundry

Anecdotes and Reminiscences

EDWARD SPENCER

(‘Nathaniel Gubbins’)

Author of ‘Cakes and Ale,’ etc.

London

Grant Richards

1903

PREFACE

I claim no merit for the following pages, other than may attach

to industry, application, the gift of copying accurately, and the

acquisition of writer’s cramp. The mechanical writing is—to the great

joy of the compositors who have dealt with it—every letter mine own;

but the best part of the book has been conveyed from other sources.

In fact the book is, as the old lady said of the divine tragedy of

_Hamlet_, “full of quotations.” The hand is the hand of Gubbins, but

the voice is, for the most part, the voice of the great ones of the

past, including Pliny and Gervase Markham. The matter, or most of it—I

am endeavouring to drive the fact home—is culled from other sources;

and if this is the most useful and interesting work ever published it

is more my fortune than my fault.

The genial reception of my earlier effort, _Cakes and Ale_—which

was condemned only by worshippers of _Ala_, who were not expected

to applaud—together with the hope of earning something towards the

purchase of a Bath Chair—have induced me to issue this little treatise

on liquids, as a companion to my first cloth-bound book. And innate

modesty—I stick to “innate,” despite the critics—compels me to add that

I think the last is the better work. I will, however, leave a generous

and discriminating public to decide that question for itself.

LONDON, CHRISTMAS EVE, 1898.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

THE OLD ADAM

Introductory — Awful habits of the ancients — A bold, bad book —

Seneca on the Drink Habit — The bow must not be always strung —

_Ebrietatis Encomium_ — The noble Romans — “Dum vivimus vivamus” —

The skeleton at the banquet — Skull-cups — “Life and wine are the

same thing” — Virgil and his contemporaries — Goats for Bacchus —

The days of Pliny — Rewards for drunkenness — Novellius Torquatus

— Three gallons at a draught — A swallow which did not save Rome —

The antiquity of getting for’ard — Noah as a grape-grower — Father

Frassen’s ideas — Procopius of Gaza — New Testament wine — Fermented

or not? — Bad old Early Christians — Drunkenness common in Africa —

Religion a cloak for alcohol — Tertullian on cider — Paulinus excuses

intemperance — Excellence of Early Christians’ intentions . . . Pages

1–10

CHAPTER II

MORE FRIGHTFUL EXAMPLES

Eating and drinking the only work of the monks — Nunc est bibendum —

An apology for Herodotus — A jovial pope — Good quarters in Provence

— Intemperance of holy men — A tippling bishop — Alexander the Great

— “Lovely Thais sits beside thee” — A big flare-up — Awful end of

Alec — Cambyses always shot straight — Darius the strong-of-head —

Philip drunk and Philip sober — Dionysius gets blind — Tiberius loved

the bowl — So did Flavius Vobiscus, the diplomatist — Bluff King Hal

— The Merry Monarch and the Lord Mayor — Dear Old Pepys — A Mansion

House wine-list — Minimum allowance of sack — A slump in brandy — A

church-tavern — Dean Aldrich — The Romans at supper — “The tippling

philosophers” . . . Pages 11–21

CHAPTER III

DRINKS ANCIENT AND MODERN

The Whitaker of the period — France without wine — Babylonian boozers

— Beer discovered by the Egyptians — A glass of bitter for Cleopatra —

Brainless Persians — German sots — Turning the tables — Intemperance

in the North — Chinese intoxicants — Nature of Sack — Mead and morat —

Vinous metheglin — Favourite tipple of the Ancient Britons — Braggonet

— Birch-wine — “The inwariable” of Falstaff — A recipe by Sir Walter

Raleigh — Saragossa wine — Usquebaugh — Clary — Apricock wine . . .

22–35

CHAPTER IV

SOME OLD RECIPES

Indifference of the Chineses — A nasty potion — A nastier — White

Bastard — Helping it to be eager — Improving Malmsey — Death of the

Duke of Clarence — Mum is _not_ the word — English champagne — Life

without Ebulum a blank — Cock ale — How to dispose of surplus poultry

— Painful fate of a pauper — _Potage pauvre_ — Duties of the old

English housewife — Election of wines, not golf — Muskadine — Lemon

wine — Familiar recipe — King William’s posset — Pope’s ditto . . .

Pages 36–47

CHAPTER V

GLORIOUS BEER

Nectar on Olympus — Beer and the Bible — “Ninepenny” at Eton — “Number

One” Bass — “The wicked weed called hops” — All is not beer that’s

bitter — Pathetic story of “Poor Richard” — Secrets of brewing —

Gervase Markham — An “espen” full of hops — Eggs in ale — Beer soup

— The wassail bowl — Sir Watkin Wynne — Brown Betty — Rumfustian —

Mother-in-law — A delightful summer drink — Brasenose ale . . . 48–60

CHAPTER VI

ALL ALE

Waste not, want not — The right hand for the froth — Arthur Roberts

and Phyllis Broughton — A landlord’s perquisites — Marc Antony and

hot coppers — Introduction of ale into Britain — Burton-on-Trent —

Formerly a cotton-spinning centre — A few statistics — Michael Thomas

Bass — A grand old man — Malting barleys — Porter and stout — Lager

beer — Origin of bottled ale — An ancient recipe — Lead-poisoning —

The poor man’s beer . . . 61–71

CHAPTER VII

A SPIRITUOUS DISCOURSE

What is brandy? — See that you get it — Potato-spirit from the

Fatherland — The phylloxera and her ravages — Cognac oil — Natural

history of the vine-louse — “Spoofing” the Yanks — Properties of Argol

— Brandy from sawdust — Desiccated window-sills — Enormous boom in

whisky — Dewar and the trade — Water famine — The serpent Alcohol —

Some figures — France the drunken nation, not Britain — Taxing of

distilleries — _Uisge beatha_ — Fusel oil — Rye whisky — Palm wine —

John Exshaw knocked out by John Barleycorn . . . Pages 72–82

CHAPTER VIII

OTHER SPIRITS

Old Jamaica pine-apple — “Tots” for Tommy Atkins — The grog tub

aboard ship — _Omelette au rhum_ — Rum-and-milk — Ditto-and-ale — A

maddening mixture — Rectifying gin — “The seasoning as does it” — Oil

of turpentine and table-salt — A long thirst — A farthing’s worth of

Old Tom — Roach-alum — Dirty gin — Gin and bitters — “Kosher” rum

— An active and intelligent officer — Gambling propensities of the

Israelites — The dice in the tumbler — Nomenclature at “The Olde

Cheshyre Cheese” — “Rack” — “Cork” . . . 83–90

CHAPTER IX

CUPS WHICH CHEER

Claret combinations — Not too much noyeau — A treat for schoolboys

— The properties of borage — “Away with melancholy” — _Salmon’s

Household Companion_ — Balm for vapours — Crimean cup — An elaborate

and far-reaching compound — Orgeat — A race-day cup — “Should auld

acquaintance be forgot?” — Sparkling Isabella — Rochester’s delight

— Freemason’s relish — Porter cup — Dainty drink for a tennis-party

. . . 91–100

CHAPTER X

PUNCH

Derivation of the word questioned — Not an Asiatic drink —

“Pale-punts” — No relation to pale punters — Properties of rum — Toddy

as a tonic — Irish punch — Glasgie ditto — O’er muckle cauld watter —

One to seven — Hech sirs! — Classical sherbet — Virtues of the feet

of calves — West India dry gripes — Make your own punch — No deputy

allowed — Attraction of capillaire — Gin punch — Eight recipes for

milk-punch — University heart-cheerers . . . Pages 101–114

CHAPTER XI

STRANGE SWALLOWS

“Wormwood!”—The little green fairy — All right when you know it, but⸺

— The hour of absinthe — Awful effects — Marie Corelli — St. John the

Divine — Arrack and bhang not to be encouraged — Plain water — The

original intoxicant — Sacred beverage of the mild Hindu — Chi Chi —

Kafta, an Arabian delight — Friends as whisky agents — Effervescent

Glenlivet — The peat-reek — American bar-keeper and his best customer

— “Like swallerin’ a circ’lar saw and pullin’ it up again” —

Castor-oil anecdote — “Haste to the wedding!” . . . 115–125

CHAPTER XII

“THE BOY”

Definition of the youth — The valley of the Marne — An Archbishop

in sparkling company — All is not cham. that fizzes — Beneficial

effects of Pommery — Dire memories of the Haymarket — The bad boy at

York — A hair of the canine — The good boy — Gout defied — Old Roman

cellars — A chronic bombardment — Magnums to right of ’em — Duties

of the disgorger — Simon the cellarer — Fifteen millions of full

bottles — Pro-dig-i-ous! — Gooseberry champagne a myth — About Médoc

— The ancients spelt claret with two “r’s” — Hints on adulteration —

“Château Gubbins” — New wine — Gladstone claret — “Pricked!” . . .

Pages 126–136

CHAPTER XIII

THE OLD WINES AND THE NEW

Decline and fall of port — Old topers — A youthful wine-bibber — The

whisky age succeeds the port age — “Jeropiga” — Landladies’ port —

A monopoly — Port _v._ gout — A quaint breakfast in Reading — About

nightcaps — Sherry an absolutely pure wine — Except when made within

the four miles’ radius — Treading the grapes — “Yeso” — Pliny pops up

again — “Lime in the sack” — What the _Lancet_ says — “Old Sherry” —

_Faux pas_ of a General — About vintages . . . 137–148

CHAPTER XIV

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

The Long Drink — Cremorne Gardens — Hatfield — Assorted cocktails —

Brandy-and-Soda — Otherwise Stone Fence — Bull’s milk — A burglar’s

brew — More cocktails — A “swizzle” — L’Amour Poussée — A corpse

reviver — A golden slipper — A heap of comfort . . . 149–161

CHAPTER XV

STILL HARPING ON THE DRINK

Sangaree — Slings — John Collins — Smashes — Sour beverages — Home

Ruler — Burning brandy — A prairie oyster — A turkey ditto — About

negus, for white-frock and black-mitten parties — Egg nogg — A doctor

— A surgeon-major — A new locomotive — Rumfustian — Pope — Bull’s

milk — A bosom caresser — The Colleen Bawn — Possets — Sir Fleetwood

Fletcher . . . Pages 162–173

CHAPTER XVI

“APPLE SASS”

Ancient British seider — Conducive to longevity — The best made in

Normandy — Which develops into champagne — And other popular and

salubrious wines — Non-alcoholic cider — A loathsome brew — German

manufacturers — Medical properties of apple juice — Away with

melancholy — The mill and the press — Pure wine — Norfolk cider

— Gaymer’s gout-fuge — Revival of the industry — Old process of

cider-making — Improving the flavour — Boiled cider — Hippocras —

Juniper cider — An ancient cider-cup . . . 174–184

CHAPTER XVII

CORDIALS AND LIQUEURS

A chat about cherry brandy — Cherry gin — And cherry whisky — Sloe gin

— Highland cordial — What King Charles II. swallowed — Poor Charles!

— Ginger brandy — Orange-flower brandy — Employment of carraway

seeds — The school treat — Use and abuse of aniseed — Do not drink

quince whisky — Try orange brandy instead — A hell-broth — Curaçoa —

Cassis — Chartreuse — The monks as benefactors — Some quaint tavern

“refreshers” — Kirschenwasser — Noyeau — Parfait amour — Maraschino —

A valuable ginger cordial . . . Pages 185–197

CHAPTER XVIII

THE AFTERMATH OF REVELRY

Revelry means remorse — And “Katzenjammer” — And other things — Why

will ye do it? — The devil in solution — Alcoholism a disease — An

accountant on wires — A jumpy journalist — A lot of jolly dogs — What

is “Langdebeefe”? — To cure spleen or vapours — Directly opposite

effects of alcohol — The best pick-me-up in the world — An anchovy

toast — Baltimore egg nogg — Orange quinine — About brandy and

soda-water — A Scorcher — Brazil relish — St. Mark’s pick-me-up — A

champion bitters — A devilled biscuit — Restorative sandwiches — Fresh

air and exercise best of all — Stick to your nerve! . . . 198–210

CHAPTER XIX

THE DRINKS OF DICKENS

The lesson taught by “Boz” — Clothing Christmas — Dickens’s drunkards

— Fantastic names for ales — Robbing a boy of his beer — A school

supper — Poor Traddles — Micawber and punch — Revelry at Pecksniff’s

— Todgers’s “doing it” — Delights of the “Dragon” — Sairey Gamp’s

requirements — What was in the teapot — The “Maypole” — Sydney

Carton’s hopeless case — Stryver’s model — “_Little D._ is Deed

nonsense” — Dear old Crummles — A magnum of the Double Diamond —

Newman Noggs — Brandy before breakfast — Mr. Fagin’s pupils —

Orange-peel and water — Quilp on fire — “Pass the rosy” — Harold

Skimpole — Joey Bagstock — Brandy-and-tar-water — That ass Pumblechook

— An inexhaustible bottle — Jaggers’s luncheon — Pickwick v. total

abstinence — Everything an excuse for a dram — Brandy and oysters —

“The inwariable” — Milk-punch — Charm of the _Pickwick Papers_ . . .

Pages 211–226

CHAPTER XX

SWORN OFF!

Introduction of temperance into England — America struck it first

— Doctor Johnson an abstainer — Collapse of the Permissive Bill —

Human nature and forbidden fruit — Effects of repressive legislation

— Sunday closing in Wales — Paraffin for miners — Toasting her

Majesty — A good win — A shout and a drink — Jesuitical logic of the

prohibitioners — The end justifies the means — A few non-alcoholic

recipes — Abstainers and alcohol — Pure spring-water _v._ milk-punch —

“Tried baith!” . . . 227–237

INDEX OF RECIPES . . . 239–243