Geek Amicus Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 So, I know they had wine and I'm assuming they had beer, but what did the Romans have for harder stuff? Every Roman era novel has them drinking various types of wine, but did they have an equivalent to whiskey or vodka? If so what? Thanks (I told you I was into the little every day details.) -geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingsoc Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 The Romans (and also the Greeks) didn't know how to produce beverages with higher alcohol levels, wine was the strongest they got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek Amicus Posted March 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 The Romans (and also the Greeks) didn't know how to produce beverages with higher alcohol levels, wine was the strongest they got. Really? I was thinking that was the case. I love all the super geniuses here. Thanks for being such a great resource. -geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryaxis Hecatee Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 even for beers you must remember that it was not in use much outside of the northern provinces and Egypt, it was not a drink for "true romans" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 .. . wine was the strongest they got. . . . and they tended to water that down, seeing drinking it neat as 'barbarian'. Of course, it wouldn't have been quite as strong as the stuff we're used to today, even before it was watered down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pompieus Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Interestingly, although the Greeks of Alexandria apparently understood the basics of distillation in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, there is no evidence of distillation of alchohol in europe until the 12th century. And it wasn't until around 1400, when methods of distilling various grains were developed that consumption of liquor grew widespread in europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metella Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 What about soldiers on the march .... did they carry wine as a matter of course, or with supply wagons? or just take it from the country side they were in? Did they drink water on campaign? Did this often lead to sickness? I also like little details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryaxis Hecatee Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 soldiers might indeed have bought wine on the way, but the official drink on the march was water and wine was mainly kept by the unit's logistical support, one of it's uses being medical. Water could and did indeed sometimes bring diseases, and could also carry poison left by the ennemy : denying someone's water by putting dead animals in the wells was a common tactic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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