Mulled Ale & Flip
"Then," said Mr. Codlin, "fetch me a pint of warm ale..."...the landlord retired to draw the beer, and presently returning with it, applied himself to warm the same in a small tin vessel shaped funnel-wise, for the convenience of sticking it far down in the fire and getting at the bright places. This was soon done, and he handed it over to Mr. Codlin with that creamy froth upon the surface which is one of the happy circumstances attendant upon mulled malt."
Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1841 |
A cold and weary traveler of a bygone era, surely appreciated a warm drink upon reaching a friendly tavern. Warm ale well served this purpose.
This could be produced quite expeditiously by placing a container of ale directly into the fireplace embers, warming the ale and the traveler simultaneously.
In England two styles of ale muller or beer warmer developed, probably during the 18th century. Both could be used at the fireside.
This could be produced quite expeditiously by placing a container of ale directly into the fireplace embers, warming the ale and the traveler simultaneously.
In England two styles of ale muller or beer warmer developed, probably during the 18th century. Both could be used at the fireside.
One was boot-shaped. You could stick the "toe" into the fire and let the heat spread through the ale inside.
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The other style was a simple cone to be stuck point-down into the heat from the top of the fire. The sizzle from the poker or adding the mulled spice from the cone to the tankard or cup is a beautiful sound indicating warmth and comfort – listen for it.
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"In a little inn, in a small village in one of the western counties of England, a group of men were assembled [in] the tap-room, where the fire was blazing very comfortably, and serving the purpose of keeping the poker at that degree of red heat necessary to warm a pot of beer when inserted therein."
James Hannay, King Dobbs, 1849 |
An even simpler and faster means to warm one's ale was to heat a poker and thrust it directly into one's tankard ala Cromwell in “A Man for All Seasons”. This does change the flavor of the beverage, in addition to heating it. The red-hot poker adds depth of flavor, caramelizing the malt and imparting a smoky character while giving the beer a creamy froth.
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The heartiest of drink could be created by additives to the ale, introduced before or after the heat treatment. Mulled ale was achieved from adding sugar and spice, a favorite being nutmeg. If you added a measure of rum or brandy, the mixture was called flip, though sometimes seen as slightly disreputable, associated with boisterous sailors from the 17th century on.
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