Beer. Home brewed beer. Local brewery beer. National brand beer.
In the 1700’s, it wasn’t the beer we know today.
“Jane’s Percimon Beer” is one such colonial-era brew. Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond, VA will be offering a first taste of their persimmon beer, newly brewed following the 300 year old beer recipe, Tuesday December 9, 2014 thanks to the Virginia Historical Society.
Consider it “History on Tap”.
“You can feel a connection across time when you’re drinking something that maybe hasn’t been drunk for a couple hundred years,” said Paul Levengood, president and CEO of the Virginia Historical Society, a privately funded nonprofit that collects, preserves and interprets the state’s history. “It’s a fun way to bring the past into the present.“
And how does it taste?
When American persimmons, hops, and water is fermented with yeast, using techniques and equipment vastly different from what is used in modern-day brewing, with no a precise list of measured ingredients, what can you expect a beer to taste like?
After following the handwritten formula of just a few short sentences, the first batch from about 17 pounds of persimmons produced only three gallons of beer.
The result was:
“The light peach-colored concoction conjures touches of sweetness and tangerine-like notes from the persimmons and just a whisper of spiciness from the English Golding hops.”
“The libation is considered a table beer, clocking in at an extremely easy-drinking 3 percent or less of alcohol by volume. That would be pretty typical of alcoholic beverages of the time that were enjoyed with many meals.”
No mention was made as to the plans of making Jane’s Percimon Beer a part of the Ardent line of ales; however, the brewery hopes to create other beers from rich in beer history after combing through other recipes from the Virginia Historical Society’s collection.
It’s all covered in the full TWC article and Ardent’s History on Tap announcement
News to Share Brief source: TWC Central and Ardent Craft Ales
Image license CC0 Public Domain via Pixabay: Beer barrel by PublicDomainPictures; Beer in glasses by tatosievers
