[Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.

[Maggie Forest]

Alban wrote:

(hi Alban - hope you enjoyed festival!)

>Ummmmm. . . . Are you using "bitters" as in a general
>class of bitter ales, as in what the English like to drink
>in pubs, a variety of beer/ale? Or as a separate liquid
>added to the very occasional mixed drink, as in Angostura
>Bitters?
>. . . and is there any truth to the rumor I once heard that
>the latter is a very good thing to drink straight, as a remedy
>for an upset stomach?

Back where I come from, a 'bitter' is a 'snaps' flavoured with
wormwood, and while it is drunk with food in the normal way for snaps,
it's considered a very good digestive aid. When you're suffering from
the over-eating the next day (food hangover, oh yes!) then the best
thing to do about it is to have a decent sized bitter.

There are several different such drinks, usually each region will have
their own special herb mix. Our wormwood bitter is usually known as a
'skane'.

to make one, if you're interested, you just infuse your herb(s) of
choice in alcohol (not vodka, it should be aquavit or similar) for as
long as it takes. wormwood bitter is done in a week or so, unless
you're a real die-hard and leave it in there until the alcohol has
been drunk.

/maggie
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee,
and just as hard to sleep after - Anne Morrow Lindbergh