SC - Perry and braggot

[Philip & Susan Troy]

> Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 23:26:29 -0500
> From: "Robert Newmyer" <rnewmyer at epix.net>
> Subject: Re: SC - medieval beverages 
> 
> >
> >     I'm with Stephen, what is a braggot and what is a perry?
> >
> >     Mercedes
> 
> Not sure about braggot, but perry is equivalent to cider only with pears.
> 
>                                 Griffith

Sorry if this was answered before: yes, perry is the juice of pears,
usually fermented. 

Braggot, a.k.a. brakkot or bracket, was, originally, essentially spiced
mead made with ale instead of water to dilute the honey. Early recipes
call for the malt to be "twice mashed", making the ale extra strong, but
then it usually gets boiled and loses most of the alcohol, when it is
combined with the honey. Hard spirits in some form are apparently added
to compensate, so little or no further fermentation occurs after that.
In this form it's basically a cordial, and a very old, and very
precious, Welsh specialty, mentioned in early Welsh legal codes as a
trade commodity.

Later braggot recipes (the form I prefer -- see Digby) call for the malt
to be mashed not twice, but for a second time, if you see the
distinction. In other words malt that has already been used once to make
ale is then infused again, either for small ale, or for braggot by the
addition of honey and spices, thereby jacking up the amount of
fermentables present.

Adamantius
troy at asan.com
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