Elspeth Payne on…

It’s amazing to me how many brewers ask me where to find medieval brewing recipes for beer, mead, whatever . Let’s start with some basics. When you’re looking for documentable historical sources for medieval brewing recipes, it’s important to know which ones to quote. What is a primary source? The […]

For you medievalists who might be able to actually attend, and all you crazy brewers who like getting together with other brewers to see what’s shakin’, may I recommend this weekend’s  Brewers’ Roundtable?  It’s something we do a lot of in the historical brewing world that you modern types may […]

I’m back home from medieval summer camp (where I and ten thousand of my closest friends re-create camps and life in different eras prior to 1600 AD, complete with battles, bards, and all manner of arts displays, tournaments, and competitions – have I mentioned the parties?).  I am thinking about […]

Most recently updated Aug. 18. 2015 Here is my list of historical brewing secondary sources; the references I reach for regularly.  I’ve already posted my personal list of primary sources on this site.  I’m planning three or four of these.   I think my next one will be modern how-to brewing […]

Most recently updated August 18, 2015 I am chagrined each time I see someone online asking whether there are period sources.  You bet there are!  Here is a running list of historical primary sources for brewers. Secondary sources are on another blog post, yet another has modern how-to books,  and there’s one […]

This site is meant as a gateway for moderns to learn history and historians to make good homebrew.  I want it to be a good, clear, accessible resource.  I try to explain things in straightforward ways making as few assumptions as possible.  And I like to tell an interesting story. […]