[Sca-cooks] Re: Yes, it's gross, but I'm curious . . .

[Ruth Frey]

> I seem to recall a possible legend about Scumpy/Scrumpy, the 
> notoriously 
> smooth and deceptively strong apple cider from the West Country, 
> which 
> was reputed to be best when a dead rat was dropped in the barrel.  
> When 
> the rat had totally dissolved, the cider was ready to drink.  Yum 
> Yum Yuk.  

     The local story along those lines involves a brew called, after the fact, the "mousecatel."  A winemaker (with rather notoriously low cleanliness standards, but a good record for making tasty wines) once brought his new brew to a party, still in the fermentation container.  People liked the wine just fine, but several of them came down terribly sick the next day.  The winemaker himself was among those, but for some reason known only to himself kept drinking off the same container of wine, and getting sick.  When he finally hit the bottom of the carboy, the problem was uncovered -- *half* of a mouse, the rest having dissolved away by that time . . .
 
      I've heard or Cock Ale, BTW, and found it an interesting bit of brewing lore, but my hat's off to anyone who has not only made it, but also actually drank the stuff after having watched the process.  

> In the meantime:  I suspect that somebody is playing a bit of a 
> trick on 
> Our Ruth with the deer dropping story.
> 
> Selene with not too much rat in it please

     Nope, not this guy.  He's not one to jerk people around -- and his initial reaction was way too natural.  What's probably flaky is my thought it might have been connected in some way to Medieval traditions.  Sounds more and more like it was some weird thing these guys were doing on their own -- though now that it's been posted here, I hope word never makes it to some susceptible soul who'd want to actually try it.  I'd hate to be responsible for "retrofitting" such a gross tradition . . . :P  :)

              -- Ruth