BEVERAGES THROUGH THE AGES

fermented beverages


DRINK UP
Pure Water or Fermented Beverages
Contrary to popular belief, fermented beverages were a source of pleasure even nutrition rather that a sanitary necessities in Medieval Europe going forward.

Middle Age Water Myth

Sources of Water in Cities
It is known that cities even constructed sources for pure water. In fact infrastructures were created to supply clean water to populated areas.
Rural Water Requiring Less Engineering
Where underground water existed naturally, wells provided pure drinking water.
drinking water
Drinking water supplied by wells and transferred in barrels from medievalist.net
Water in Colonial New England (3)

At the beginning of this post documentation of water history relates essentially to European geography and construction. On the other hand, footnote(3) hones in on the relationship of water and the North American city of Boston from 1650-1900. Activities started later in the colonies as well as less frequently. But the need was less urgent.

Preferred Palatable Beverages
But for pleasure, alternative drinking liquids were prefered. In fact, there were many options to choose from. Fermented beverages from distant and recent history are still popular today.

fermented-beverages

Food and Beverage Hobby As part of my interest in food and beverage history, I like to prepare and drink these beverages. They range from thousands of years old to much more recent concoctions.

Fermentation
Fermentation was the way liquids were converted into nutritious, tasty beverages. Due to chemical reactions with healthy bacteria, many beverages resulted. I would like to spend this blog post writing about some of them.

meadHoney Wine

“The term honey wine is sometimes used as a synonym for mead,[7][8] although wine is typically defined to be the product of fermented grapes or certain other fruits,[9] and some cultures have honey wines that are distinct from mead. The honey wine of Hungary, for example, is the fermentation” of honey-sweetened pomace of grapes or other fruits.[10]

More About Mead
“Mead was produced in ancient times throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia,[11][12][13][14] and has played an important role in the mythology of some peoples. In Norse mythology, for example, the Mead of Poetry, crafted from the blood of Kvasir (a wise being born from the mingled spittle of the Aesir and Vanir deities) would turn anyone who drank it into a poet or scholar.” Quoted from Wikipedia

 

kombuchaKombucha
“Kombucha is thought to have originated in China, where the drink is traditional.[3][4]

By the early 20th century it had spread to Russia, then other parts of Eastern Europe and Germany.[5] Kombucha is now homebrewed globally, and also bottled and sold commercially.[1] The global kombucha market was worth approximately US$1.7 billion as of 2019.[6]

SCOBY
“Kombucha is produced by symbiotic fermentation of sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) commonly called a “mother” or “mushroom”. The microbial populations in a SCOBY vary.

Yeast
The yeast component generally includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae, along with other species; the bacterial component almost always includes Gluconacetobacter xylinus to oxidize yeast-produced alcohols to acetic acid (and other acids).[7]

SCOBY Defined
Although the SCOBY is commonly called “tea fungus” or “mushroom”, it is actually “a symbiotic growth of acetic acid bacteria and osmophilic yeast species in a zoogleal mat [biofilm]”.[1] The living bacteria are said to be probiotic, one of the reasons for the popularity of the drink.[8][9]”Quoted from Wikipedia

SOURCES & RESOURCES

Mead

Kombucha

(1)Did People Drink Water in the Middle Ages?

(2)What Was the Drink of Choice in Medieval Europe?

(3)New England Water Supplies – A Brief History


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Traditional Fermented Ginger Ale: Introduction

traditional-fermented-ginger-ale


FERMENTING AGENTS

Traditional fermented ginger ale is the only drink I make that is in a similar category to Homemade Organic Fermented Lemonade or Limeade. These drinks are kissing cousins because they can use the same fermenting agent, whey. But for ginger ale, a ‘ginger bug’ is my preferred fermenting agent.
Whey
Using whey in making ginger ale does make it ferment faster. But I prefer not to add it and let the ginger ale ‘slow brew’. In addition, for people who are sensitive to dairy or are vegan, whey needs to be avoided since it comes from dairy.
traditional-fermented-ginger-ale
Store-bought and home-made whey for fermented lemon and limeade
Ginger Bug, No Whey
So we won’t be going into detail about the use of whey as our fermenting agent today. Instead, our focus will be on making a ‘ginger bug’.

 


Be Persistent More Than Consistent
Keep in mind that my first effort failed. So don’t give up. Over time, I have used various recipes as my template for guidance. It is amazing how recipes can vary. That is because fermenting is as much an art as it is a science. There is no exclusive way to make this. The only one that matters is the one that works. And based on all kinds of environmental and other input, the same recipe may not work consistently.
Ginger
Let’s start with the ginger itself. I only use fresh ginger. If it is organic, I just rinse it. If it is not organic, I peel it. Either way, the ginger should be nice and plump, not wrinkled or moldy. Ginger is available in Asian food stores, in health food markets and often in supermarkets.
traditional-fermented-ginger-ale
Grated ginger and whole pieces of ginger root and turmeric root
Recipe One
There are two recipes that I used at the start. The first is from Wellnessmama.com calling for a small amount of ginger, sugar and water added daily.

 

 


Recipe Two
The second is from Nourished Traditions and is fairly similar to the wellnessmama.com recipe.
Ginger Bug Care
I am not sure if I found a recipe for this or if I started doing it on my own. I am admittedly overwhelmed sometimes with caring for all my fermented beverages and food. Daily attention to my ‘ginger bug’ become difficult. So I started weekly feeding of my continuous culture, you never use it up but always save some to start the next one.
Varieties of Sugar
It worked. And what works even better is using muscovado sugar. It is very dark because it has a substantial amount of molasses left in it. It tastes almost taste more like ginger beer than ginger ale. My original bug is made with a lighter sugar called demerara with less molasses so it is not as potent.
ginger bug
Ginger bugs fermenting comfortably
Ginger Wort
The next step in making traditional fermented ginger ale is preparing a ginger wort’. The recipe for that will appear in the next blog post, Traditional Fermented Ginger Ale: ‘Ginger Wort’. Following steps will appear on additional blog posts throughout the coming week.

SOURCES & RESOURCES

Ginger Bug Recipe from Wellness Mama

Ginger Bug from Nourished Kitchen

This blog post details information discussed by Alison D. Gilbert, Healthy Living Consultant, on A.M. News on Renegade 101.3 FM. If you wish to share it, please give credit where credit is due. Photography is by the author unless otherwise indicated by scanning your mouse over the image. Thank you.


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