Cups and Their Customs

Cups And Their Customs by George Edwin Roberts. This work surveys the long-standing human practice of drinking and the diverse vessels and ceremonies that accompany it. Beginning with ancient origins, it traces the etymology of cups—from skulls to cauldrons—through medieval hanap and marvellous glassware, and it chronicles the evolution of drinking vessels across civilizations. The volume moves through Greek and Roman rituals, the toasts of banquets, and the ceremonial use of grace-cups and loving-cups in English civic life, college halls, and Inns of Court. It then chronicles the varieties of compound drinks—Hydromel, Hypocras, Sack, Punch—and the social customs that shaped them, including toasting, singing, and the inscribing of verses on cups. Interwoven with recipes, anecdotes, and period illustrations, the book offers both a cultural history and a practical guide for cups' compounding, flavoring with herbs such as borage, lemon peels, and spices. It serves as a panoramic portrait of conviviality, gastronomy, and social manners through the ages.