Piment²⁵

• 2 pt/1.21 sweet red or white dessert wine
• ½ tsp each of (bruised) cloves

For each of the above, soak the spices in the wine for 1–2 days or more. Strain through fine cloth (or filtration paper), stir in the sugar or honey until dissolved, then bottle ready for use. It is better to use whole but bruised spices and leave them in the wine for longer periods. Finely ground spices can form a colloidal mass which is virtually impossible to filter.