y, Bayes,
Sweet-marjoram, Thyme, and the like, do conserve Meathe the better and
longer, being as it were in stead of hops. But neither must they, no more
than Clove-gilly-flowers, be too much boiled: For the Volatil pure Spirit
flies away very quickly. Therefore rather infuse them. Beware of infusing
Gillyflower in any vessel of Metal, (excepting silver:) For all Metals will
spoil and dead their colour. Glased earth is best.

SACK WITH CLOVE-GILLY FLOWERS

If you will make a Cordial Liquor of Sack with Clove-gilly-flowers, you
must do thus. Prepare your Gilly-flowers, as is said before, and put them
into great double glass-bottles, that hold two gallons a piece, or more;
and put to every gallon of Sack, a good half pound of the wiped and cut
flowers, putting in the flowers first, and then the Sack upon them. Stop
the glasses exceeding close, and set them in a temperate Cellar. Let them
stand so, till you see that the Sack hath drawn out all the principal
tincture from them, and that the flowers begin to look palish; (with an eye
of pale, or faint in Colour) Then pour the Sack from them, and throw away
the exhausted flowers, or distil a spirit from them; For if you let them
remain longer in the Sack, they will give an earthy tast to them. You may
then put the tincted Sack into fit bottles for your use, stopping them very
close. But if the season of the flowers be not yet past, your Sack will be
better, if you put it upon new flowers, which I conceive will not be the
worse, but peradventure the better, if they be a little dried in the shade.
If you drink a Glass or two of this sack at a meal, you will find it a
great Cordial.

Upon better consideration; I conceive the best way of making Hydromel with
Clove-gilly-flowers, is thus: Boil your simple Liquor to its full height
(with three parts of water to one of Honey), take a small parcel out, to
make a strong infusion of flowers, pouring it boyling hot upon the flowers
in earthen vessels. If you have great quantity, as six to one, of Liquor,
you will easily draw out the tincture in fourteen or sixteen hours
infusion; otherwise you may quicken your liquor with a parcel of Sack. In
the mean time make the great quantity of Liquor work with yest. When it
hath almost done fermenting, but not quite, put the infusion to it warm,
and let it ferment more if it will. When that is almost done, put to it a
bag with flowers to hang in the bung.

I conceive that Hydromel made with