Excerpt from The Goodbye Lie:
 Leona was at the piano playing Auld Lang Syne. Aunt Noreen and Peeper
passed steaming mugs of Smoking Bishop and the scent of the spiced wine filled
the room. A toast was raised and cups clinked. 1883 had begun.In Drinking with Dickens by Cedric Dickens, who was the great-grandson of Charles Dickens, I discovered Smoking Bishop was Victorian hot spiced port wine. Besides the Bishop, there were other clerical drinks in those times: Archbishop-claret, Cardinal-champagne and Pope-burgundy.
We served Smoking Bishop at a holiday party and got a chuckle out of seeing one of our guests tip the pot to get the last drop - and we’d made a double batch! There are variations of Smoking Bishop, but this is the one we used.
As with all alcoholic drinks, moderation is key.
Enjoy, Jane Marie |
Smoking Bishop Recipe
|
You’ll need:
- 4 whole washed, unpeeled oranges
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
- 1 bottle port wine (red wine and port wine combined should equal 4 to 5 quarts)
- 5 to 6 quart slow cooker or large pot for stovetop cooking
Stick the whole cloves into the oranges. Poke the oranges several times with a fork so the juice will seep out while cooking. Place the oranges in the pot.
Add the red wine, sugar and cinnamon sticks.
Cover and cook on low or simmer for 3 1/2 hours. Add the bottle of port.
DO NOT BOIL at any time.
Heat the mixture for another half hour to warm the port.
Serve warm straight from the pot.
Garnish with extra orange slices or wedges and individual cinnamon sticks, if desired.
Serves 10. This recipe is easily doubled.
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The Goodbye Lie Diaries:
1880s
Fernandina, Florida
Peeper writes:
Yes, Miss Jane, I did pass cups a Smokin' Bishop around Dunnigan Manor with Noreena. I never want ta do a thing with her. I only dun it 'acause Santee Claus hadn't yet come and I wanted me a pair a new shoelaces, so I had ta be nice. Miss Ella got me the shoes ta go with 'um, but I didn't ask.
Reprinted from our GraciousJaneMarie.com website at http://www.greenlightwrite.com/bevsmokingbishop.htm
