History of the Week

Alcohol History Links March 17 - 14

Cyperos

A more in depth look into Cyperos (Tiger nuts) and its uses.
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A Trip to the såinnhus 

Lars recounts his visit to the såinnhus (malt house), where he gets to sample more raw ale.

"He takes us to see the malt kiln. It looks exactly like the other ones I've seen. The process is also the usual one: first steeping the barley, then sprouting it in the wooden box that lies on top of the kiln, and finally drying on the wooden boards on top of the kiln. He says the distance from the fireplace (kjerringa) up to the planks is important, in order to get the right temperature without setting fire to the planks. Because the drying lasts several days the risk of fire is very real, and it's necessary to always keep an eye on the process. Svein says that if the wooden boards start making a creaking sound that means you're approaching the danger zone and need to reduce the fire."
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Canadian Whiskey

An account of a barman who ran a hotel saloon in the 1930s.

"Leonard recalled his father’s hotel and saloon in Morley, a small crossing a few miles from Potsdam. This was the late 1860s, when he was a teenager.

The account is full of colour and recalled a time when beer and liquor were usual incidents of small town life, part of running a hotel which served varied meals and hosted many special gatherings fondly evoked by Leonard."
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Erntebier to Broyhan

Brief descriptions of historic top fermented beers from Germany.
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An exposé of London Pubs

An article from the 1940's reveal the life of the barmaid.

"She went on to detail the various ways barmaids in London pubs compensate themselves for their miserable lot, namely ‘fiddling’.

‘Go on with you,’ said the barmaid. ‘You know what fiddling is, making a bit on the side.’ She gave a mascara wink."
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Brewing in Sacramento

A brief look into the history of brewing in Sacramento, California.

"1849 – A brewery and distillery begin operation at Sutter’s Fort and run for two years, catering largely to parched gold miners.

1849 – Peter Cadel (his name is also spelled Kadell) opens Galena Brewery, the city’s first commercial brewery, at 28th and M streets about 100 yards from Sutter’s Fort. The first beers were brewed and sold for 25 cents a glass (about $10 today). This marked the start of the first boom in local brewing, with a dozen or more breweries opening between 1849 and 1865."

Amphorae

Recent attempts of organic residue analyses on thirteen samples from eleven amphorae found in Southern Italy in order to see what was inside.