A cooling drink, usually made of wine and water, with lemon-juice, spices, and borage; also, a local name of borage, from its use in this beverage (Britten and Holland).
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant, Crew, Cool Tankard, Wine and Water, with a Lemon Sugar and Nutmeg.
1777. Chron., in Ann. Reg., 199/1. This day … the Lord Mayor … partook of a cool tankard at Newgate with Mr. Akerman.
1817. Williamson, Mem. C. Simeon, i. 12. The day was hot … I drank a great deal of cool tankard.
1858. R. Hogg, Veg. Kingd., 541. The fresh tops [of borage] were formerly used in cool tankards.
