Ale Warmer
Display: Liquid Refreshments
Culinary Technique: heat transfer
Date: 20th Century
Location: England
Dimensions: 7.5" h x 4.5" w x 16" d
For centuries before refrigeration, beer was served warm and consumed daily. Warm ale was especially welcome in winter. Often flavored with spices and considered an aid to health, it was heated in an ale "shoe" or "boot" buried in the ashes of a hearth fire. Heat moved from the shallow boot tip to the cup, which did not tip over when full. Notice that the lip is stretched to form a spout for easy pouring. This copper warmer, with its soldered joints at base and handle, is a recent reproduction of an 18th-century form.