The beverage is a serious concern for the host, those liquid refreshments offered must be refreshing and flavorful enough to be enjoyable, and must complement the meal.
Beer and wine are not always the wisest selections, for a variety of reasons.

One option, from the Menagier de Paris is a Barley Water, originally intended for the sick.

( Transscribed from
Le Menagier de Paris By Albertano, Jean Bruyant, Renault, Société des bibliophiles françois (Paris, France)

Tizanne Doulce. Prenez de l'eaue et faites boulir, puis mettez pour chascun sextier d'eaue une escuelle d'orge largement, et ne chault s'elle est a tout l'escorce, et pour doux parisis de réglisse, (item) des figues, et sois tant bouly que l'orge creve; puis soit coulee en deux ou trois toiles, et mis en chascun gobelet grant foison de succere en roche. Puis est bonne icelle orge a donner a mengier a la poulaille pour engressier.

Nota que la bonne réglisse et la plus nouvelle, et est en la taille de vive coleur vergaie, et la vielle, et de plus fade et morte, et seche.

( translation by Power, 1928 )
Tizanne Doulce. Take water and boil it, then for each sester ( here no doubt the sester of 8 pints ) put in a bowl heaped with barley and it matters not if it be hulls and all, and teo parisis ( 2.5 d. ) worth of liquorice, (item) and figs, and let it be boiuled til the barley bursts, then let it be strained through two or three pieces of linen, and in each goblet put great plenty of crystallised sugar. Then the barley is good to give to poultry to eat to fatten them.

1 gallon of water
2 lbs barley, rinsed
a stick of very fresh licorice, health food store or many Indian markets
1/4c figs ( fresh, dried, or preserve of plain figs ) often found in cheese departments
and an unknown ingredient, which is listed as "item". Hopefully research will find an image of the manuscript ( it is no longer available online ), and some educated guesses might be made.
served over crystallised sugar

Boil water. Add barley, licorice, and fig, simmer til

Place a teaspoon of coarse sugar in a glass, or place a rock candy stick into a glass.


In looking for information on the use of d as a measure, the value and the weight of the coin have both presented themselves as possibilities.
If the weight is implied,
8 drams to the ounce, ( usually liquid measure )
20 pennyweights ( also referred to as d. ) to a troy ounce, which is 1.097 AVDP ( common ) ounces

For the purposes of experimentation, the decision was made to use "a little", as licorice is not a preferred flavor here.

This makes a sweet, light, refreshing beverage well suited to summer.
The barley was made into a frumenty, a type of savory hot cereal dish.