Brewing, Distilling & Winemaking

Alcohol is produced naturally from fermented grains, fruit, honey and other sugar sources, and since at least 10,000 BC the process has been manipulated by humans.  These days beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic drink.  For more than 700 years, Gruit Ale was the brewed beverage of medieval Europe. Like today’s beer, it was brewed with water, cereal grain and yeast.  But in addition it was spiced with combinations of over 60 plants in herb, root and spice form, hops being only one of these. Of these plants 50% are aromatic, 38% are bittering, 53% are antiseptics, and 47 % are medicinal or were believed to have ‘magical’ virtues. Hops, along with wormwood, juniper, angelica and oregano, ticked all these boxes, perhaps accounting for their ongoing popularity. However there is now a resurgence of interest in brewing beer, as well as distilling gin, using many of these other wonderful herbs. A wealth of information is to found at the website Gruitale.com and a wealth of the herbs you’ll need are to be found right here! There are also many different fruits which can be fermented into wines and vinegars, and you’ll find an offering of them here too.