Cups and Their Customs

In Victorian England, "cup" meant something far richer than a vessel for morning coffee. Roberts documents a tradition of communal beverages, generous mixtures of wine or spiritsinfused with spices and fruits, designed to be shared among friends and neighbors. The book traces these drinks from ancient mythology through medieval wassailing and Tudor hospitality down to the authors' present day, but with a particular agenda: to revive what Roberts considers the lost art of wholesome, sociable drinking. He mourns contemporary habits as uninspiring, arguing that earlier generations understood something about communal ritual that modern tipplers have forgotten. The recipes here negus, bishop, syllabub, and dozens of others are not mere instructions but portals to another era, each carrying its own folklore and social customs. Whether one approaches it as historical curiosity or practical guide, the book offers a window into how Victorians imagined their drinking ancestors and what they hoped to reclaim.