I’ve been preparing my list of historical brewing sources.   I am chagrined each time I see a post from a newbie on one of the brewing history forums, asking whether there are period sources.  You bet there are!  Clearly my eleven-page bibliography needs to become a searchable database available from [...]

This year I made a modern Blood Orange Cordial.  Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?  I made it for historic competitions. Blood oranges, C. sinensis, were first discovered and cultivated in 15th century Sicily (the region around Mt. Etna still has many blood orange groves).  I was intrigued that they are only available during a few weeks [...]

I really like cardamom, and it seemed to be a good match for apricots.  I took this to Interkingdom Brewing Competition at Pennsic, where it did well.  This is my competition documentation.  Now I know there’s a spice called Grains of Paradise, and that I can purchase it under that [...]

Notes from Brewing 101: What You Need To Know To Get Started, first taught at Atlantia University, Fall 2008 This is the class handout.  The class was taught to people interested in an historic context: Europe before 1600  Equipment list for both Beer and Mead Mead’s alcohol is honey-based, wine’s is grape-based, and [...]

     My nephew Ross has been making cordials since college, but just recently knocked my socks off with this one and the Cranberry Cordial also on this site. Have you tried this? Made it, tasted it?  What did you think?      3 lbs peaches, pitted and quartered (I left the skins [...]

Have you tried this? Made it, tasted it?  What did you think?      16 oz. cranberries      1/2 peel lemon, scraped      1/4 peel orange, scraped      1.5 c vodka (I used white brandy)       1.5 c sugar syrup (simple syrup) Steep 4 weeks or until as smooth as you wish. [...]

The recipe – no need for redaction here – is completely and utterly modern, no historical antecedents at all. Cordials were not sipping drinks in history, they were tonics – and this one is all about sin. Thanks to Lady Isabella Henry, who gave me the recipe. Have you tried [...]

What to do with a lot of brandy-soaked toasted English walnuts?  Let’s see…make butter brickle candy and coat it with dark chocolate, that’s what! Have you tried this? Made it, tasted it?  What did you think? The Recipe The recipe is completely and utterly modern. The ingredients all existed over [...]