The Manhattan cocktail was created around 1880 and is considered a true revolution, something innovative. That sounds as if it would have been unthinkable before. But old books prove that a Brandy Manhattan could have been mixed as early as 1310!
The initial situation
What exactly is a Manhattan cocktail in its simplest form? It is a combination of vermouth, whisky and cocktail bitters – although the latter could certainly be omitted and the mixture still be called a Manhattan, as is customary with the Martini cocktail. It is said to have unleashed tremendous creativity, as it was the first time a spirit was combined with a (fortified) wine, something that had been unthinkable until its creation in the 1880s. Really?
I would like to disagree and put forward a theory: if grain had been distilled back then, and not just wine, then the Manhattan cocktail could have existed as early as 1310, if not several decades earlier – or it may even have existed without us knowing about it explicitly.
How did I come to this conclusion? I found evidence in old books that everything was already known back then.
Arnald de Villanova
Brandy
Let’s take a trip back in time: Arnaldus de Villanove, was born near Valencia around 1235 and studied at the University of Montpellier around 1260. He was not only a Catalan physician and pharmacist, but also a university lecturer, diplomat and personal physician to kings and popes. He introduced brandy – which he called “aqua vini” or “aqua vitae” – to Western medicine, using it to extract alcoholic extracts from medicinal herbs for medical purposes. [1]
Fortified wine
Around 1285, he discovered that adding brandy could stop the fermentation of wine, thereby preserving much of the natural original sweetness of the grape in the wine, and thus discovered the production process for what is known as “Vin Doux Naturel” – [ [1][6] which is what we now call fortified wine. [1][4][6][7]
Around 1310, Arnald de Villanova wrote his book “liber de vinis”, “The Book of Wines”. [2-13]
‘The Book of Wines’ and Wilhelm von Hirnkofen
Before I discuss this book, I would like to turn to Wilhelm von Hirnkofen. He was born in the mid-15th century and grew up in Ulm. [5] He was also known as “Renwart”. Based on a manuscript he found, he translated the “liber de vinis” into German under the title “Von bewarung und beraitung der wein” (On the Storage and Preparation of Wine). Strictly speaking, this book is a compilation of Arnold de Villanova’s “Liber de vinis” and Gottfried von Franken’s “Tractatus de vino et eius proprietate”. The book was published in 1478 and was dedicated to the Nuremberg Council. [2-14][2-15][5]
Wilhelm von Hirnkofen divided this book into seven sections, and only the sixth, on medicinal wines, reproduces Arnald’s text. [2-15] However, this is an abridged version of the original text, as not all of the wines described in it were included. Perhaps Wilhelm shortened it, or perhaps these were missing from the manuscript that Wilhelm had at his disposal. [2-15][2-16]
Wilhelm’s book was a bestseller. It quickly became popular. The first edition was published without any indication of place or year. However, it must have been shortly after 2 October 1478, in Esslingen by Konrad Fyner. Between 1478 and 1500, eleven further editions were published, and between 1503 and the middle of the 16th century, another ten. [2-17][2-18][5]
Wormwood wine (Vermouth)
Arnald was therefore also familiar with wormwood wine, writing about its medicinal properties and how to prepare it: “Wormwood wine. … It is made by suspending green or dry wormwood in wine. But there is another and still better way, namely, to take fresh or dry wormwood, put it in a little bag or other container, and strain the wine hot or cold through it as many times as needed until the wine absorbs its taste and power. Add sugar and honey to it in adequate measure. This is the better method because the potency is better extracted in this way.”[2-41][3-32]
Arnoldus de Nova Villa: Von Bewarung vnd Beraitung der Wein. 1478, page 32. [3-32]
– »Wermuͤt wein. … Er wirt alſo gemachet das man grünen oder dürren wermuͤt in wein hencken ſol. Aber noch ain anders vnd beſſers iſt zuͤ mercken . das man nem friſch oder dürr wermuͤt / Vnd das in ain ſaͤcklin oder ander geſchirr thuͤ Vnd den wein warm oder kalt . Dar durch seÿhe . ſo offt vnd dick bis er den geſchmack vud krafft dauon enpfacht Vnd man ſol zucker vnnd honig als ſich gezÿmpt dareÿn thuͤn . Vnnd das iſt der beſſer wege wann die krafft wirt durch den wege bas herauſz gezogen.« [3-32]
What does this mean for us? Arnald was already familiar with brandy and he already knew about vermouth wine. Taken together, isn’t that already a Brandy Manhattan? One might object that a “proper” vermouth contains not only wormwood but also other spices. But even that was already known:
Spiced wine
So one ingredient for a Manhattan was available: vermouth wine. One might argue that a “proper” vermouth requires additional spices in the wine. To this I would reply: spices were also added to wine, because it is said that: “Aromatic wine is made in such a way that you put the spices in a little bag and suspend it in a cask of wine or must. Thus the taste and effect will be according to the spices cold or warm, this or that.”[2-41][3-31]
Arnoldus de Nova Villa: Von Bewarung vnd Beraitung der Wein. 1478, page 31. [3-31]
– “Gewürzter wein wirt gemacht . Alſo dz man die ſpecereÿ In ainem ſaͤcklin in daz uaſz da wein oder moſt Innen iſt hencke ſo wirt der geſcmack vnd nutzberkait . nach geſtalt der gewirtze ſÿ ſeÿen kalt oder warm diſz oder das.” [3-31]
He then describes a wine for coughs and a wine to beautify women, and continues: “A wine to which you can give, if you wish, any taste you like. It is worthy of a court, and is particularly appropriate for gentlemen who want to show what a variety of marvellous wines they have. It is also a useful remedy for various ailments according to the spices you use. Briefly spoken the matter is this. You shall keep herbs or spices, whichever you like, for one day and one night in brandy so that the power of these things be incorporated in the brandy. It will assume the taste and flavor of those spices or herbs. Put a little of this brandy into the wine that you intend to drink, and the wine will acquire the taste and flavor of the substance.”[2-41][3-31][3-32]
Arnoldus de Nova Villa: Von Bewarung vnd Beraitung der Wein. 1478, page 31-32. [3-31][3-32]
– “Ain wein dem man wen̄ man will / ainen ÿeden geſchmack geben mag welherlaÿ man gern hat. Vnd es iſt am hofliche ſach Am maiſten gepürlich den herrn̄ die sich erzaigen woͤllen . Als ob ſÿ wunderbar vn̄ mancherlaÿ wein haben. Er iſt ouch guͤt zuͤ nutzberkait mācherlaÿ artzneÿ / nach kraft der ding ſo dareÿn getān werdē . vnd die ſach kurtz iſt vn̄ ḋ māſſen Man ſol kreuͤter oder ſpecereÿ / Welich man will am tag vnnd am nacht In geprenten wein legen . daz die kraft des ſelbigen dings in den geprenten wein v̄leibt werde . ſo wirt da die v̄luͤchung vnd geſchmack / der ſelbē gewürtz oder kreuͤter Vn̄ von diſem geprenten wein ſol man ain wenig in den wein ſo man jn trincken wil thuͤn / ſo gewynnet der wein die verſuͤchung vnd geſchmack ḋ ſelbē materi.” [3-31][3-32]
So we see that vermouth wine made with other spices would also be quite common. However, the last recipe shows a completely different approach: you macerate the spices you want in brandy and then add a spoonful of it to your wine to flavour it, according to your taste and needs. This is nothing more than a cocktail bitter!
Conclusion
I am not saying that a “Manhattan” was prepared as early as the 14th century. I would simply like to point out that the DNA of the drink, the principle behind it and the necessary ingredients were all available: fortified wine, brandy, vermouth, spiced wine and “cocktail bitters” were all known. So it would have been possible to prepare such a mixed drink at that time. I like the idea that the English Franciscan friar William of Baskerville, when he visited a Benedictine abbey in the Ligurian Apennines and solved a series of murders there at the end of November 1327, just like his novice and assistant Adson of Melk in ‘The Name of the Rose’, drew his conclusions over a “medieval Brandy Manhattan” in front of a roaring fire and tracked down the murderer.
https://archive.org/details/b31366521/ Anonymus: The Earliest Printed Book on Wine By Arnald of Villanova, Physician, Surgeon, Botanist, Alchemist & Philisopher [1235?-1311]. Now for the First Time rendered into English and with an Historical Essay by Henry E. Sigerist, M.D. With Facsimile of the Original Edition, 1478. New York, Schuman’s 1943.
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The initial situation
What exactly is a Manhattan cocktail in its simplest form? It is a combination of vermouth, whisky and cocktail bitters – although the latter could certainly be omitted and the mixture still be called a Manhattan, as is customary with the Martini cocktail. It is said to have unleashed tremendous creativity, as it was the first time a spirit was combined with a (fortified) wine, something that had been unthinkable until its creation in the 1880s. Really?
I would like to disagree and put forward a theory: if grain had been distilled back then, and not just wine, then the Manhattan cocktail could have existed as early as 1310, if not several decades earlier – or it may even have existed without us knowing about it explicitly.
How did I come to this conclusion? I found evidence in old books that everything was already known back then.
Arnald de Villanova
Brandy
Let’s take a trip back in time: Arnaldus de Villanove, was born near Valencia around 1235 and studied at the University of Montpellier around 1260. He was not only a Catalan physician and pharmacist, but also a university lecturer, diplomat and personal physician to kings and popes. He introduced brandy – which he called “aqua vini” or “aqua vitae” – to Western medicine, using it to extract alcoholic extracts from medicinal herbs for medical purposes. [1]
Fortified wine
Around 1285, he discovered that adding brandy could stop the fermentation of wine, thereby preserving much of the natural original sweetness of the grape in the wine, and thus discovered the production process for what is known as “Vin Doux Naturel” – [ [1] [6] which is what we now call fortified wine. [1] [4] [6] [7]
Around 1310, Arnald de Villanova wrote his book “liber de vinis”, “The Book of Wines”. [2-13]
‘The Book of Wines’ and Wilhelm von Hirnkofen
Before I discuss this book, I would like to turn to Wilhelm von Hirnkofen. He was born in the mid-15th century and grew up in Ulm. [5] He was also known as “Renwart”. Based on a manuscript he found, he translated the “liber de vinis” into German under the title “Von bewarung und beraitung der wein” (On the Storage and Preparation of Wine). Strictly speaking, this book is a compilation of Arnold de Villanova’s “Liber de vinis” and Gottfried von Franken’s “Tractatus de vino et eius proprietate”. The book was published in 1478 and was dedicated to the Nuremberg Council. [2-14] [2-15] [5]
Wilhelm von Hirnkofen divided this book into seven sections, and only the sixth, on medicinal wines, reproduces Arnald’s text. [2-15] However, this is an abridged version of the original text, as not all of the wines described in it were included. Perhaps Wilhelm shortened it, or perhaps these were missing from the manuscript that Wilhelm had at his disposal. [2-15] [2-16]
Wilhelm’s book was a bestseller. It quickly became popular. The first edition was published without any indication of place or year. However, it must have been shortly after 2 October 1478, in Esslingen by Konrad Fyner. Between 1478 and 1500, eleven further editions were published, and between 1503 and the middle of the 16th century, another ten. [2-17] [2-18] [5]
Wormwood wine (Vermouth)
Arnald was therefore also familiar with wormwood wine, writing about its medicinal properties and how to prepare it: “Wormwood wine. … It is made by suspending green or dry wormwood in wine. But there is another and still better way, namely, to take fresh or dry wormwood, put it in a little bag or other container, and strain the wine hot or cold through it as many times as needed until the wine absorbs its taste and power. Add sugar and honey to it in adequate measure. This is the better method because the potency is better extracted in this way.” [2-41] [3-32]
– »Wermuͤt wein. … Er wirt alſo gemachet das man grünen oder dürren wermuͤt in wein hencken ſol. Aber noch ain anders vnd beſſers iſt zuͤ mercken . das man nem friſch oder dürr wermuͤt / Vnd das in ain ſaͤcklin oder ander geſchirr thuͤ Vnd den wein warm oder kalt . Dar durch seÿhe . ſo offt vnd dick bis er den geſchmack vud krafft dauon enpfacht Vnd man ſol zucker vnnd honig als ſich gezÿmpt dareÿn thuͤn . Vnnd das iſt der beſſer wege wann die krafft wirt durch den wege bas herauſz gezogen.« [3-32]
What does this mean for us? Arnald was already familiar with brandy and he already knew about vermouth wine. Taken together, isn’t that already a Brandy Manhattan? One might object that a “proper” vermouth contains not only wormwood but also other spices. But even that was already known:
Spiced wine
So one ingredient for a Manhattan was available: vermouth wine. One might argue that a “proper” vermouth requires additional spices in the wine. To this I would reply: spices were also added to wine, because it is said that: “Aromatic wine is made in such a way that you put the spices in a little bag and suspend it in a cask of wine or must. Thus the taste and effect will be according to the spices cold or warm, this or that.” [2-41] [3-31]
– “Gewürzter wein wirt gemacht . Alſo dz man die ſpecereÿ In ainem ſaͤcklin in daz uaſz da wein oder moſt Innen iſt hencke ſo wirt der geſcmack vnd nutzberkait . nach geſtalt der gewirtze ſÿ ſeÿen kalt oder warm diſz oder das.” [3-31]
He then describes a wine for coughs and a wine to beautify women, and continues: “A wine to which you can give, if you wish, any taste you like. It is worthy of a court, and is particularly appropriate for gentlemen who want to show what a variety of marvellous wines they have. It is also a useful remedy for various ailments according to the spices you use. Briefly spoken the matter is this. You shall keep herbs or spices, whichever you like, for one day and one night in brandy so that the power of these things be incorporated in the brandy. It will assume the taste and flavor of those spices or herbs. Put a little of this brandy into the wine that you intend to drink, and the wine will acquire the taste and flavor of the substance.” [2-41] [3-31] [3-32]
– “Ain wein dem man wen̄ man will / ainen ÿeden geſchmack geben mag welherlaÿ man gern hat. Vnd es iſt am hofliche ſach Am maiſten gepürlich den herrn̄ die sich erzaigen woͤllen . Als ob ſÿ wunderbar vn̄ mancherlaÿ wein haben. Er iſt ouch guͤt zuͤ nutzberkait mācherlaÿ artzneÿ / nach kraft der ding ſo dareÿn getān werdē . vnd die ſach kurtz iſt vn̄ ḋ māſſen Man ſol kreuͤter oder ſpecereÿ / Welich man will am tag vnnd am nacht In geprenten wein legen . daz die kraft des ſelbigen dings in den geprenten wein v̄leibt werde . ſo wirt da die v̄luͤchung vnd geſchmack / der ſelbē gewürtz oder kreuͤter Vn̄ von diſem geprenten wein ſol man ain wenig in den wein ſo man jn trincken wil thuͤn / ſo gewynnet der wein die verſuͤchung vnd geſchmack ḋ ſelbē materi.” [3-31] [3-32]
So we see that vermouth wine made with other spices would also be quite common. However, the last recipe shows a completely different approach: you macerate the spices you want in brandy and then add a spoonful of it to your wine to flavour it, according to your taste and needs. This is nothing more than a cocktail bitter!
Conclusion
I am not saying that a “Manhattan” was prepared as early as the 14th century. I would simply like to point out that the DNA of the drink, the principle behind it and the necessary ingredients were all available: fortified wine, brandy, vermouth, spiced wine and “cocktail bitters” were all known. So it would have been possible to prepare such a mixed drink at that time. I like the idea that the English Franciscan friar William of Baskerville, when he visited a Benedictine abbey in the Ligurian Apennines and solved a series of murders there at the end of November 1327, just like his novice and assistant Adson of Melk in ‘The Name of the Rose’, drew his conclusions over a “medieval Brandy Manhattan” in front of a roaring fire and tracked down the murderer.
Sources
explicit capitulum
*