What drinks in Tudor times did people drink?
The main drinks were ale, cider, perry, mead and wine, everyone avoided drinking water because it was very polluted, hypocras was a sweet liqueur imported from the Eastern Mediterranean; it was the most expensive drink of all and was served at Royal banquets and special occasions. Wine was also popular at Court but was too expensive for most people because it had to be imported from countries where it was warm enough for the grapes to grow. Wine was sometimes diluted with water, even though there was a risk of pollution, and was often served warm and spiced. Ale was the word used for any fermented drink made from grain and water and even at Court more ale was drunk than wine. Beer was brewed from hops and was not so popular although it was cheaper than ale. Cider was made from apples and was drunk by the poorer people. Perry was a fermented drink made from pears and mead was a mixture of honey and spices. People would drink milk, but because it could not be pasteurised and there was no
