Beverages General

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There were shortages of clean drinking water (due to pollution of watercourses by human activities around rural settlements) and fruit juices were available only in season. Hence everyone, including children, drank beer.
The beer brewed at home was weaker and heavier than today, containing 1-5% alcohol, and was served in place of soup. It had no head of foam, was brewed from wheat - so-called white beer, or from barley old beer. Only in the 15th century, did hops come to be added for better beer quality, bringing out a bitter flavour.
Wine was drunk primarily at the Court and in the monasteries. It differed from today’s wine with its spiced, very sweet taste. It was condensed into a thick syrup and diluted with water.
Spirits were altogether rare. Distillation took place in small volumes. Fruit and cereal distillates were again weaker than today’s (about 15-20%). The most popular drink was mead, made from fermented honey dissolved in water.

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