surviving "Isotonic" roman drinks recipes

[Iagoba]

Somewere, I had read they drink a mix of water, vinegar and -honey-?
I also read this on a reenacting group´s march along Hadrians wall (Comitatus)
EDITED:

Of course we carried water, as well as posca (Roman wine-vineager) and cider to keep us refreshed.

No honey...but seems close.Not sure now of that...:?

While reading the newspaper there was an article of Añana´s Salt Valley, a place near Vitoria, in Spain, where I live, where is a spring containing 200g salt per litre (sea has 36g and the Dead sea 350g). The water has been put into terraces and let dry into the sun since...well there has been always said the Romans, but there is no proof of this (but they were going to ignore this? I think not.).

In the article a old man remembered when he had worked there in the 60´s-70´s, under the sun, with the feet into hot salted water, and he said that the had to drink water mixed with vinegar and sugar or honey to keep fresh.

2000 years later, still in use, and is not a stone bridge, but a recipe, which is harder to conserve through the time!

Link to more info in English:

www.alavaturismo.com/en/ficha-patrimonio.php?Clave=13

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Was it vinegar or vinegar wine? There is another term for it, which is translated like vinegar, I think!
Sounds interesting tho', will try it, as it would make an interesting substitute for red bull, and the other isotonic drinks I always cart around!

[Salvianus]

I can share Fortunatus' more specific experiments with posca:

"Initially I used lots of red-wine vinegar mixed with red
wine to create this (supposedly) refreshing and ubiquitous legionary drink. But the end result was oily, burning, cloying and nauseating. Several attempts later I settled on a drink of water, with a dash of red wine vinegar, and a dash of red wine (vinum) added. On a two day march along Hadrian's Wall, over-heating, desperate for refreshment, this mix was refreshing. I drank the lot."

from: [url:jafps9a2]http://www.comitatus.net/rations.pdf[/url]

I have had refreshing results with simply diluting red wine :-) ) but I don't know what sort of ratio would actually result in an isotonic or near isotonic solution.

[Dean Cunningham metalsmim]

I think it depends on your tolerance for vinegar. I can drink it straight. I've made posca with 1/3 H20 1/3 vinegar 1/3 cheap (watery and lacking tannin bite) red wine. I've heard of honey but I don't like the sweetness. I'll leave that for my warmed mulled wine on a cold evening.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I can share Fortunatus' more specific experiments with posca:

"Initially I used lots of red-wine vinegar mixed with red
wine to create this (supposedly) refreshing and ubiquitous legionary drink. But the end result was oily, burning, cloying and nauseating. Several attempts later I settled on a drink of water, with a dash of red wine vinegar, and a dash of red wine (vinum) added. On a two day march along Hadrian's Wall, over-heating, desperate for refreshment, this mix was refreshing. I drank the lot."

from: [url:3vrbhh7l]http://www.comitatus.net/rations.pdf[/url]

I have had refreshing results with simply diluting red wine :-) ) but I don't know what sort of ratio would actually result in an isotonic or near isotonic solution.

perhaps you should have added the honey? It was quite often used for energy in olden times....

[Caius Fabius]

I use red wine vinegar and water, a 1 to 4 part mixture, no honey. It is refreshing and healthy. The vinegar kills a lot of the stuff floating in the water, but at first it also kills some of the bacteria in your stomach, so start with a lighter mix and work your way up to what tastes good. You can also use Apple Cider Vinegar is the red wine vinegar is not to your taste. I was amazed that I had a difficult time finding apple cider on my recent trip, but found several pear cider drinks in southern Germany and Switzerland.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I would imagine the honey to be an essential element, as it too has antiseptic qualities, is a source of energy, and was used by the greeks and the romans.....would help with the taste too!

[Carlton Bach]

I'm not sold on the essential, energy-giving quality of honey. For one thing, it was something of a luxury good. Also, the antiseptic properties of honey are largely lost in dilution - watered honey, quite the reverse, makes an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi (including, but not limited to, alcoholic fermentation). So while I'm not against the idea of adding honey to posca (honeywater - hydromel - was a known beverage), I'd caution against assuming it was universally done. Modern Europe has a much sweeter tooth than our ancestors because we can afford it.

[Caius Fabius]

Taste of honey?

We know honey was used to sweeten wine that had become sour, but posca was a different drink.

Romans liked more flavors than salted, peppered or sweet. Try real garum, it is quite interesting. Try posca as it is written, vinegar with water, it is flavorful, but not perhaps something you can sell in bottles to the modern Cola drinker.

Drinks do not need to be sweet to taste good; the sparkling, bubbly, fresh taste of posca gives you thirst quenching effects.

Honey was sometimes used in medical dressings, as was wine and vinegar.

Modern tastes have changed, even from the recipe books of the 16th century, let alone from the surviving oft recopied works of the Roman times. In fact, tastes differ from region to region, and I prefer the local foods to the ubiquitous McDonalds, Burger Kings and Pizza Huts that are worming their insidious way into Euro-cusine with their Cokes and Pepsies. Whatever happened to "Lemon-Coke" in Germany? (an example)

:?

[Carlton Bach]

Modern tastes have changed, even from the recipe books of the 16th century, let alone from the surviving oft recopied works of the Roman times. In fact, tastes differ from region to region, and I prefer the local foods to the ubiquitous McDonalds, Burger Kings and Pizza Huts that are worming their insidious way into Euro-cusine with their Cokes and Pepsies. Whatever happened to "Lemon-Coke" in Germany? (an example)

What *did* happen to lemon Coke in Germany? I only know our version, and it's OK if you add enough water.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

The foods of the world have a wide range of flasvours, very true! I have been fortunate to have tried quite afew of them...
I would imagine if you were mixing wine/vinegar, water and honey, the alcohol would negate the effects of bacteria induced by wtered down honey...... but I am going to mix some up with the rather wicked wine I have left from greece..... If you don't hear from me again, I have probably gotten drunk and choked to death trying to remove my hamata.... :lol:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

hmmmmmmnot too bad, the new Red Bull. not too much wine, not too much honey(white thick variety) D
Mind you the wine is a few years old now......

Damn....what a stange feeling..like I can take on the hords of Gaul, single handed... :?