Cock ale, popular in 17th and 18th-century England, was an ale whose recipe consisted of normal

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

brewed inside a container, to which was later added a bag stuffed with a parboiled, skinned and gutted cock, and various fruits and spices.

Recipe

The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

'', which describes Cock ale as "ale mixed with the jelly or minced meat of a boiled cock, besides other ingredients", dates the drink's earliest mention to the mid 17th century, in

Kenelm Digby Sir Kenelm Digby (11 July 1603 – 11 June 1665) was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, astrologer and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. For his versatility, he is d ...

's ''Closet Opened'' (published in 1669). Included as a recipe, Digby's guide prescribes: A similar recipe was printed in 1739 in ''

The Compleat Housewife ''The Compleat Housewife; or, Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion'' is a cookery book written by Eliza Smith and first published in London in 1727. It became extremely popular, running through 18 editions in fifty years. It was the first co ...

'':

Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...

's ''Pharmacopœia extemporanea'' (1710) offers a recipe for Pectoral Ale (a cough medicine), which, with the addition of the afore-mentioned bird, parboiled, could apparently be turned into Cock ale. Fuller explained that the drink "sweetens the Acrimony of the blood and humours, incites clammy phlegm, facilitates expectoration, invigorates the lungs, supplies soft nourishment, and is very profitable even in a consumption itself, if not too far gone." The drink's supposed medicinal qualities were also advertised in John Nott's ''Cooks and Confectioner's Dictionary'' (1723), which claims that Cock ale is "good against a Consumption, and to restore a decay'd Nature."

Descriptions

A contemporary biographer claimed that King

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

preferred Cock ale over

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. The drink's entry in

Robert Nares Robert Nares (9 June 1753, York – 23 March 1829) was an English clergyman, philologist and author. Life He was born at York in 1753, the son of James Nares (1715–1783), organist of York Minster and educated at Westminster School and Ch ...

's ''Glossary'' describes it as "a sort of ale which was very celebrated in the seventeenth century for its superior quality". Also included in that entry is a quote from

Ned Ward Ned Ward (1667 – 20 June 1731), also known as Edward Ward, was a satirical writer and publican in the late 17th and early 18th century in London. His most famous work, ''The London Spy'', appeared in 18 monthly instalments from November 1698. ...

's ''

The London Spy ''The London Spy'' by Ned Ward (1660/1667 – June 20, 1731) was a periodical about London life, later published as a book. First person Ward first published the story as a series of 16-page periodicals in 1698–1700, comprising 18 folio editi ...

'', which calls Cock ale "a mixture of small-beer and treacle", although the author continues: "if this be ''cock-ale'', said I, e'en let ''cocks-combs'' drink it." Nathan Bailey's ''Dictionarium britannicum'' (1736) describes it as a "pleasant drink, said to be provocative", a sentiment mirrored by

Francis Grose Francis Grose (born before 11 June 1731 – 12 May 1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He produced ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785) and ''A Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local Prove ...

's ''

Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Classical may refer to: European antiquity *Classical antiquity, a period of history from roughly the 7th or 8th century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. centered on the Mediterranean Sea *Classical architecture, architecture derived from Greek and ...

'' (1785), which also calls it provocative. Writing in 1929, William Henry Nugent claimed that Cock ale was a concoction of bread and ale fed to fighting birds. Several authors have theorised that ''Cock ale'' may have mutated into ''

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

'', an American word first recorded in 1803 whose origin is now lost.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * {{refend

External links

Making a seventeenth century cock ale following Digby's recipetasting it
Types of beer Beer in the United Kingdom