An Admirable Cool Cup is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic summer drink made from a blend of sugar, lemon juice, cider and sherry flavoured with nutmeg and lemon balm or borage that's served as a chilled summer drink. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: An Admirable Cool Cup.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
AN ADMIRABLE COOL CUP.
Weigh six ounces of sugar in lumps, and extract the essence from the rind of a large fresh lemon by rubbing them upon it; then put them into a deep jug, and add the strained juice of one lemon and a half. When the sugar is dissolved, pour in a bottle of good cider, and three large wineglassesful of sherry; add nearly half a small nutmeg lightly grated, and serve the cup with or without some sprigs of fresh balm or borage in it. Brandy is sometimes added to it, but is, we think, no improvement. If closely covered down, and placed on ice for a short time, it will be more agreeable as a summer beverage.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
180g lump sugar
1 large lemon
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
500ml good-quality cider
200ml sherry
1/2 small nutmeg, freshly-grated
sprigs of fresh lemon balm or borage
Method:
Rub the lump sugar over the skin of the large lemon to strip off the essence of the zest. Place these cubes in a deep jug and pour over the lemon juice. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then add the cider, sherry and nutmeg.
Add the sprigs of lemon balm or borage then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Serve over ice as a summer drink.
