Shax it Off: Taylor Swift-themed cocktails inspired by recipes in our collection

Is Taylor Swift the Shakespeare of our time? This “cruel summer,” the Folger Institute explores the poetry, literary devices, and early modern allusions of Swift’s discography. Whether you prefer All’s Well That Ends Well or “All Too Well,” all are welcome to join us for a fun night of cocktails, trivia, and prizes on August 15, 2024.

Can’t make trivia night? Don’t let “your saddest fears come creeping in.” We are sharing three Taylor-themed cocktails inspired by seventeenth- and eighteenth-century recipes from our collection. Enjoy these drinks at home while watching the Eras Tour or sip while testing your knowledge of two of the world’s greatest poets with our “Who said it, Shakespeare or Taylor?” quiz.

“I cry a lot, but I am so productive” Spritz

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Are you “down bad crying in the gym?” Does “everything come out teenage petulance?” Then you might be suffering from melancholy. Although no longer a medical diagnosis today, melancholy was a serious illness in the early modern world. Melancholy, which could present as a range of afflictions from madness to sadness to despondency, was caused by an excess of black bile. In early modern medicine human bodies were believed to be composed of four humors or liquids: black bile (also known as melancholy), yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. Illness was the result of an imbalance of any of these humors. Thus, if you think you “might just not get up,” an early modern doctor would have concluded you had an excess of black bile. Diet and medicine were used to rebalance humors and treat afflictions such as melancholy. This recipe, adapted from a 1675 “syrup against melancholy” recorded in Thomas Sheppey’s receipt book (V.a.452), prescribes sweet apple juice, mint, and borage flowers. The light and refreshing notes of mint and cucumber (from the borage flowers) paired with tart apple and lively prosecco is certain to lift your spirits.

• 2 oz apple juice
• 1 oz simple syrup (optional, adjust to taste)
• 4-5 fresh mint leaves
• 2-3 borage flowers (plus extra for garnish)
• Prosecco (sub club soda for a mocktail)
• Ice
• Apple slice and mint sprig for garnish (optional)

In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the fresh mint leaves and borage flowers to release their flavors. Add the apple juice and simple syrup (if using) to the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until the mixture is chilled. Strain the mixture into a chilled champagne flute or wine glass. Top with prosecco, pouring slowly to maintain the bubbles. Garnish with a thin apple slice and a sprig of mint.

“Loving him was Red” Brandy

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Like Taylor, we have all suffered heart aches, heart breaks, and even some “bad blood.” Individuals in the early modern world were no exception. Today we call distilled and infused alcohols “liqueurs,” but in the early modern world, these were known as “cordials” and were designed to treat the heart, both physically and emotionally. This cocktail is inspired by a recipe for a “red cordial” from the Malet family’s eighteenth-century recipe book (W.a.303).

Just as it is for Taylor, the color red was significant in the early modern world. Notably, this recipe calls for cochineal to create an intense, red-colored cordial. Red, the color of blood and fire, has long been associated with intense emotions, power, and divinity. Before European contact with North and South America, red pigments were made from ochre, or natural clays, plants, and cinnabar. None of these pigment sources, however, were particularly vibrant or stable. That all changed when Spanish conquistadors learned of cochineal from the Mexica (Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico). Cochineal was quickly shipped back to Europe where it produced the brightest and most vibrant red Europeans had ever seen. To maintain their monopoly, Spain kept the source of cochineal secret for nearly two centuries. Today cochineal is no longer a mystery. We know that it was and is still produced from an insect (D. coccus). Now called carmine, it is widely considered a safe and natural alternative to artificial food dyes. For the Malet family, the addition of cochineal to a heart cordial was likely sympathetic, red dye for a red and passionate heart. But it might have also signaled the family’s wealth and/or fashionability.

• 2-3 cardamom pods
• 2 oz brandy
• 1 oz ginger syrup
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cochineal (carmine or red food dye)
• Club soda (optional)
• Ice
• Lemon twist or fresh mint for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, lightly muddle the cardamom pods to release their flavors. Add the brandy, ginger syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a couple drops of red food dye to the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until the mixture is chilled. Strain the mixture into an ice-filled rocks glass. If you prefer a lighter drink, top it off with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon twist or a sprig of fresh mint.

Rosemary-lavender Haze

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Perhaps you aren’t struggling with your “melancholia” or suffering from a “delicate” heart. Maybe you’re just a little hoarse from singing 46 songs over the course of three and a half hours. Well, we have a cocktail for that too. This cocktail doubles as “medycen for a soare throate.” Yes, spelling was a bit chaotic in the early modern world. They did not have Taylor reminding them that “spelling is fun.” Although a challenge to decipher, this recipe, compiled around 1600, prescribes a blackberry, rosemary, lavender, and honey concoction gargled twice a day to sooth a sore throat (V.a.140). We left the honey but swapped the white wine for bubbly prosecco and recommend sipping over gargling so you can keep singing and making the “whole place shimmer.”

• 6-8 fresh blackberries
• 1 oz lavender syrup
• A bit of honey
• 4 oz prosecco (sub club soda for a mocktail)
• Ice
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

In a shaker, muddle blackberries and add lavender syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until the mixture is chilled. Strain the mixture into a champagne glass or coupe. Top with prosecco and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.