Posca!

Posca!

Posca is the drink that conquered an empire.  This beverage was the preferred "sports drink" of the Roman Empire, and as history has shown, they had a pretty good run of things.

I know, I say I'm focusing on Viking stuff and immediately go off into Roman beverages.  Go figure. I don't know how to justify it aside from saying I had some posca laying around and decided to put some content up.  Click HERE to view Wikipedia's article on posca.

Historical Accuracy:  Well, as far as we can tell, this is more or less 100% accurate.  As time passed, posca became haymaker's punch, swapping out the coriander for ginger.  There is plenty of room for interpretation, however:  vinegar and honey would be available nearly everywhere, but various herbs or spices would be added as flavoring.  Try it with mint on a hot day.

How does it Taste?  Honestly, it tastes rather like funky lemonade.  It takes a little bit to get over the change from citric to acetic acid, but once you do that, the beverage is quite enjoyable.  I have personally found that my enjoyment of the drink increases as the temperature rises (which is pretty much par for the course for any sort of sports drink).

Difficulty:  None.  If you can use a measuring cup and a long-handled spoon, you've got this.

Time:  About two minutes if that.  Let it sit for 30 minutes or more to let the flavors blend.  You'll be happier when you do so.

Recipe:  
1/2 cup raw honey
1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

4 cups water

Either:

1 tablespoon crushed coriander seed

4 sprigs mint leaves, muddled

1 tablespoon preserved ginger, diced small

Mix all ingredients.  Let sit, refrigerated, at least 30 minutes.

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