[Sca-cooks] "Fresh" ales and meades

[Stefan li Rous]

Doc asked:
> On Friday, September 26, 2003, at 09:42  AM, Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus
> Adamantius wrote:
> > But we've also brewed fresh ale, unfermented, which is sweet, malty,
> > and nourishing, if not as clear as its aged counterpart. We've even
> > force-carbonated it. Same for various meads, plain and spiced.
>
> Oooh!  Could you please elaborate on this?  I've been going nuts trying
> to find period/perioid beverages for feasts.  Non-alcoholic wines
> (fancy grape juice) have gone over reasonably well here, but I'd like
> to have as many alternatives to iced tea and lemonade as possible.
I believe that much of the period ale was drunk fairly soon and was 
only lightly alcoholic. The "small" beers? I too, would love to see 
more relating of this from a first hand perspective.

Doc, will a lightly alcoholic beverage work for you? Or does it need to 
be totally alcohol free? Here are a few files in the BEVERAGES section 
of the Florilegium that have some drinks that might work for you. 
Unfortunately, the non-alcoholic sugar syrup beverages are also not 
good for diabetics.
beverages-NA-msg  (80K)  9/ 2/99    Non-alcoholic beverages.
bev-water-msg     (20K) 10/12/01    Water as a beverage in period.
   (water was drunk, but I doubt that it was served at period feasts, 
but if someone tells you water was never drunk in the Middle Ages, here 
are some counter-examples)
infusions-msg     (24K)  3/26/02    Period infusions. Herbal "teas". 
Barley tea.
jalabs-msg        (64K)  7/22/02    Drinks with a sugar or honey-syrup 
base such
                                        as Sekanjabin (Persian Mint 
Drink).
kvass-msg         (71K)  6/20/00    Russian drink made from bread or 
grains.
  (this is lightly alcoholic, not alcohol free)
Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****