Brewing & Wine Making

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History is full of beverages, so drink up! The history, art and science of fermentation is rich and exciting. Thankfully, the process is easy to learn and the methods are virtually unchanged from those used thousands of years ago. Alcoholic beverages from antiquity can encompass drinks like mead, a wine made from honey; Kumis, a Mongolian drink fermented from milk; hundreds of varieties of beers, ales, cordials, wines, ciders, and so much more. The goal is to learn through doing.

We also make non-alcoholic beverages like the Middle Eastern vinegar-based “Sekanjabin”, or the Scandinavian birch beer (the grandfather of Root Beer). Some of our members are just really into making their own sodas and teas! In the SCA, many modern methods are used in the process of learning the “old ways” of doing things. For instance, you could make beer in an open stone bowl, but your success rate increased significantly when you use more hygienic methods.

The process of learning “how” people made these drinks, enriches our understanding of culture. History comes alive when you can drink the same wine served to Richard the Lionheart. What you make is entirely up to you, however, it’s usually recommended that you attempt something simple at first, and then take your “experimental archaeology” deeper into history as you learn more.

Don’t worry if you’ve never done anything like this before, you’ll find many knowledgeable people in Wintermist who will be happy to  brew with you! Just click the link below.

Wintermist’s Fellowship of Brewers & Vintners – Facebook Group