Non-alcoholic drinks
A common misconception exists that water was not consumed at all because it was contaminated, which is not fully true - settlements were commonly built around water sources for a reason. However, while the cleanliness of water could not have been guaranteed, that did not mean that people were not able to boil it in order to purify it, for example. Common water sources that were widely accepted to be clean were streams that ran over stony ground, lakes, and wells. Water was consumed, but some people believed that water had no prestige value and rather preferred alcoholic beverages, as they were more nutritious and were believed to aid with digestion better than water. Milk was not widely consumed, as long-term preservation was impossible and would spoil very quickly - rather it was only reserved to be consumed by the very young or elderly and was also given to the poor or sick. Because of how quick regular cow milk spoiled, almond milk was an expensive alternative that was consumed by the wealthy in varying recipes, in other cases milk could've also been used to produce cheese or buttermilk. Fruit juices of different fruits were consumed by all social classes, drinks such as cider were made from apples, while perry from pears, along with blackberries for murry and plums for prunelle.
Beer
In the northern regions of Europe, beer was very popular amongst the common folk and the nobles, as grapes could not be cultivated in those regions, wine had to be imported which made it even more expensive than it already was. Beer was in fact so popular in these regions that it was consumed on a daily basis by all social classes and age groups. However, beer was described by the Sienese physician Aldobrandino in 1256 as following:
But from whichever it is made, whether from oats, barley or wheat, it harms the head and the stomach, it causes bad breath and ruins the teeth, it fills the stomach with bad fumes, and as a result anyone who drinks it along with wine becomes drunk quickly; but it does have the property of facilitating urination and makes one's flesh white and smooth."
Beer was primarily brewed in monasteries and on a smaller scale in separate individual households. In comparison to modern standards, the brewing process was quite inefficient but was capable of producing very strong alcohol(if need be).
Mead
Mead was made from honey and water through fermentation with yeast. The taste had a wide range of flavors, which depended on the source of the honey, additives(fruit and spices), the aging procedure and the yeast used in fermentation. Meads were fermented by wild yeasts and bacteria residing on the skins of the fruit or within the honey itself. Wild yeasts generally provide inconsistent results, and in modern times various brewing interests have isolated the strains now in use. Certain strains have gradually become associated with certain styles of mead. Mostly, these are strains that are also used in beer or wine production.
Wine
Wine was the most prestigious alcoholic drink at the time, even more so for the Northern parts of Western Europe, including Flintwhenia, because good quality wine could only be obtained from imports. Wine was considered hot and dry, unlike beer and water, which were cold and moist - however these qualities of wine were moderated when it was watered down. Also considered to be the healthiest choice amongst alcoholic drinks because it was believed to aid digestion when consumed in moderation, generate good blood and help brighten a person's mood. The quality of wine differed from the type of grape, whether it was vintage but most importantly - the number of grape pressings. The first pressing was used to make the finest wine that was expensive and could only be afforded by the wealthy, while consequent pressings had lower quality and alcoholic content, which meant that the lower classes had to settle for second and third grape pressings.
People did not consume their drinks from glasses until the Late Middle Ages, which means that drinking vessels were made out of different materials depending on the owner's wealth - goblets made out of steel or cups made out of wood, for example.
Earlier version
From the old forum. Posted by theSerpent on 17 September 2018.
Beverages
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, contained 1-5% alcohol, and served instead 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 Court and in the monasteries. It differed from today's by its spicy, very sweet taste. It would be 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.
Ale and Beer
Under the Romans, the real beer, was made with barley; but, at a later period, all sorts of grain was indiscriminately used; Another sort of beer was known during the Middle Ages, which was called godale. This name was derived from the two German words god and ael, which mean "good beer" and was of a stronger description than the ordinary beer. When, on the return from the Crusades, the use of spice had become the fashion, beverages as well as the food were loaded with spice, including beer. Allspice, juniper, resin, apples, bread-crumbs, sage, lavender, gentian, cinnamon, and laurel were each thrown into it. The object of these various mixtures was naturally to obtain high-flavoured beers. Other beers, called 'Small Beer' were sweetened simply with honey, or scented with ambergris or raspberries.
Cider
Cider (in Latin sicera) and perry can also both claim a very ancient origin. Cider is a drink made of apples sometimes this was made by pouring water on apples, and steeping them, so as to extract a sort of half-sour, half-sweet drink.
Wine
The English experimented with mixing resin with their wines to preserve them and prevent them from turning sour, as the temperature of their country was not warm enough thoroughly to ripen the grape. It was not very successful and most wines were imported. Malmsey wine was made with water, honey, clary juice, beer grounds, and brandy. At first the same name was used for the natural wine, mulled and spiced, which was produced in the island of Madeira from the grapes which the Portuguese brought.
Many wines were made with infusions of wormwood, myrtle, hyssop, rosemary which were mixed with sweetened wine and flavoured with honey. The most celebrated of these beverages bore the pretentious name of "nectar;" those composed of spices, Asiatic aromatics, and honey, were generally called "white wine".
The name of wine was also given to drinks composed of the juices of certain fruits, and in which grapes were in no way used. These were the cherry, the currant, the raspberry, and the pomegranate wines; also the moré, made with the mulberry. There were also sour wines, which were made by pouring water on the refuse grapes after the wine had been extracted; also the drinks made from filberts, milk of almonds, the syrups of apricots and strawberries, and cherry and raspberry waters, all of which were refreshing, and were principally used in summer.
Mead
Honey was used to make a sweet alcoholic drink called mead which was drunk by all classes. Wine was generally imported although some fruit wines were produced in England. A form of cider referred to as 'Apple-wine' was also produced. Ales were brewed with malt and water, while beer contained hops that held a bitter flavor. Other flavors were added to ales and beers such as bayberries, orris, or long pepper. Consumption of weak, low-alcohol drinks at this time has been estimated at around one gallon per person per day.