Thanks to pop culture references, TV, and movies, when many of us think of the medieval ages, we imagine giant, wooden tables with burly men sitting around, sloshing great mugs of mead around in celebration of a victory. While this is not untrue, as mead was a very popular drink during those times, that's not all the medieval age brought us in terms of celebratory drinks. In fact, many of the things we drink today that are seasonal or 'special occasion' drinks came from a time when people drank them on the regular, simply because they were popular and the ingredients were abundant.
It might be surprising to know that your favorite holiday beverage or favorite drink to have during a BBQ or festival actually has roots back as far as the 13th century, but it's true... Many of the most popular beverages we indulge in today are actually not of this time.
Ale
Made even popular by the small and craft breweries that are putting their own spin on the beverage, ale was popular even during the medieval ages. It was actually one of the most affordable drinks which means its reach was wide and extensive, so much so that everyone took part in drinking it - men, women, and children.
However, back then, ale was not exactly what we know it to be today. Rather, it was made by people called alewives, who were female staff responsible for 'brewing' the drink. The resulting ale was something that was nearly as dark as a porter and lacked the alcohol content that we'd see in an ale today, and it was actually considered a nutritious thing to drink... go figure.
Fruity Wine
Of course, regular wine was also a product of an earlier century but fruit wine, specific, was a medieval creation. These wines included any fruits other than grapes and cherries, raspberries, currants, pomegranates, and mulberries would be used in their place.
The closest thing to a fruit wine during the medieval ages that we still drink today is called a Prunelle, and it can be found throughout France. It was a popular Renaissance drink and consists of mulberry gin, wild plums, and blackberry wine, resulting in an incredibly fruity and rich flavor.
Cider
The first version of cider was actually more of a fruit wine, as it was wine-like but flavored with apples.
Cider as we know it today began being produced sometime around the 17th century in England when it was discovered that apples could be boiled and pressed, which gave way to the drink we know today as apple cider, with a combination of both sweet and tart flavors. Bear in mind that this is non-alcoholic cider - the alcohol came at a later date.
Eggnog
Better known as posset back then, this was a very popular drink during the medieval ages and wasn't used strictly during the holidays. Rather, it was used as a drink to toast with and procured during special occasions - the tradition of only drinking it during the holiday season is more of a modern-day custom, and was also Americanized, as eggnog was first created in Europe.
Back then, it was known as Posset, and was similar to ale but served warm. Later came another drink called Caudell which was similar, but made with wine that would then be thickened with eggs and, as one can imagine, became very expensive to make.
Mulled Wine
Although it wasn't known as mulled wine back then, it was called ipocras and was a traditional dessert drink. While mulled wine exists all over the US, in Europe, ipocras is still a commonly-had beverage.
However, the two are nearly identical, with ipocras using red or white wine with an addition of spices to create a spicy, bold drink. The difference is that whereas in Europe it's enjoyed for dessert, other parts of the world enjoy mulled wine anytime throughout a meal or celebration.
Brandy
Brandy was a very popular beverage and has been throughout the centuries, as it's now known in variations of gin, juniper, or vodka. When it was first created, however, it was known as 'aquae vitae' and known for what were believed to be health benefits. It was long believed that brandy had the ability to prolong good health, revive spirits, and keep a person youthful. Obviously, if this were true, it would be everyone's go-to drink. Therefore, it has fallen out of popularity and is now known more as one of many ingredients to fortify a cocktail.