A recent Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic mentioned "lanted ale", or ale flavoured with aged urine:
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/frequency
Early modern writers seem to be fond of it, or at least consider it a strong drink.
In The Tincker of Turvey (1630), Trotter the Tinker extols the singular quality of the best ale he has ever tasted, contrasting it with lanted ale and double-lanted (!) ale.
…I have thrust into my guts Dagger-Ale, Steeletto-Ale, Pistoll-Ale, proofe-Ale, Pimblico Ale, Mother-Bunches Ale, Labour in vaine Ale, Darby Ale, Ale of Gottam (which make the men there fools), I have drunke double-lanted Ale and single-lanted but never gulp'd downe such Hypocrenean liquor in all my life.
Wikipedia mentions lant was also used to freshen breath and glaze pastries, but does not provide any sources.
So, was this a thing? Did people really consume aged urine?
"Lant" is a decidedly English word; most of my search results indicate people drank it in England. But I'm also curious about how widespread this delightful beverage was.
I'm curious as well! I find it suspicious that most of the OED quotations are from comedic plays--did people actually drink ale with urine in it, or was it only ever a comedy trope?
OED:
lant, n.1 [not updated since 1901]:
Now rare.
Urine, esp. stale urine used for various industrial purposes, chamber-lye.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Vrine, vrine, lant, stale, chamber-lye.
1640 H. Glapthorne Wit in Constable ii. sig. Dii Your nose by its complexion does betray Your frequent drinking country Ale with lant in't.
a1661 W. Brereton Trav. (1844) 106 The linen do so strongly taste and smell of lant and other noisome savours, as that [etc.].lant, v. [also not updated since 1901]
trans. To mingle with ‘lant’.
1630 Tincker of Turvey Ded. Ep. sig. A 3 I haue drunke double-lanted Ale, and single-lanted, but neuer gulp'd downe such Hypocrenean Liquor in all my life.
1662 M. W. Marriage Broaker v. i. 73 My Hostess takings will be very small, Although her lanted ale be nere so strong.
1674 J. Wright Mock-Thyestes in tr. Seneca Thyestes 134 Dead drunk with double lanted Ale.
1691 J. Ray N. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 42 To Leint Ale, to put Urine into it to make it strong.