Bog Myrtle Brew Day

Another in our series of SMASH Herbal beers (see Meadowsweet and Heather): Bog Myrtle! Please follow the links below for the archaeological and literary evidence for bog myrtle beers during the Greco-Roman era (and elsewhere): Bog Myrtle in Archaeology Bog Myrtle Pt. 2 Our brewday largely followed that of the previous SMASH beers. This allows…

Bog Myrtle in Literature and Archaeology

Bog myrtle (Myrica gale) has long been used in gruits, ales, and beers. Although archaeological evidence (see below) indicates a similar use of this shrub by northern Europeans in periods contemporary with ancient Greece and Rome, Greco-Roman literary sources are lacking for this plant and such beers. In fact, it is even difficult to identify…

Heather Tasting

For the previous entries in our heather brewing trial, see: Heather in Ancient Sources Heather in Archaeology Heather SMASH(erb) Brew Day The heather ale began fermenting immediately and produced the strongest fermentation that I have witnessed from any of the beer experiments. The krausen nearly doubled the size of the original wort in less than…

Heather SMASH(erb) Beer

For the previous entries in our heather brewing trial, see: Heather in Ancient Sources Heather in Archaeology Heather is among the more common plants/herbs used in modern gruits and historic ales. Perhaps the most well-known of the commercial heather ales is made by Williams Brothers Brewing in Scotland. Their drink, Fraoch Heather Ale, includes bog…

Heather in Archaeology

Heather in Ancient Literature. The archaeological evidence for ancient heather beers (or other fermented beverages) is minimal compared to that of meadowsweet. Heather has been widely used in gruits and ales in the past several centuries and, in folklore and myth, is often associated with Celtic drinking traditions. Buhner (1998: 25-35), for instance, devotes several pages…

Meadowsweet in Archaeology

Relatively speaking, there is a significant amount of archaeological evidence for the use of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) in ancient fermented beverages. Much of this evidence is from Bronze Age sites (mostly 2nd millennium BCE), but there are some Iron Age sites (contemporary with classical Greece and Rome) where meadowsweet residues were found. This chronological distribution…

Meadowsweet in Antiquity (Ancient Sources)

[EDIT] 10/29 – The Theophrastus passage was discovered and added to this post. In this new series, we will explore herbal additives to ancient beers. First up: Meadowsweet. Nelson (2001, 138) identifies meadowsweet (Spiraea ulmaria L. or Filipendula ulmaria L. or Spiraea filipendula) with the Latin/Greek word oenanthe. Pliny, Hist. Nat. 23.5.9 Omphacio cohaeret oenanthe,…

CAELIA, defined

Caelia, -ae (f) – a type of beer made in Spain Caelia is described in a recent passage by Florus. It is a type of beer (perhaps, wheat) that was made in the Numantine and Iberian territories. Variants on the word include “celia, celea, cerea, ceria, celicia.” The earliest reference to this word comes from…

Pre-Brewing Research: Elecampane Beer throughout History

In our never-ending quest to learn about the connection between inula and beer, we offer a summary of our research into the historical uses of elecampane (an inula species). We pursue elecampane (rather than other types of inula) because of its traditional use in beer. Elecampane (also known as Scabwort, Elf Dock, Wild Sunflower, Horseheal,…