Brewing Up History with Regimental Brewmeister

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022 10 AM – 6 PMHerkimer House200 NY-169Little Falls, NY 13365 Perhaps you are an accomplished homebrewer and you want to appreciate the challenges faced by brewers in the 18th Century who brewed good beer without all the instrumentation and modern equipment we rely on, perhaps you are a history buff and …

Precedent for the Stamp Act

We are all familiar with The Stamp Act of 1765 which was a tax on all paper documents levied on American colonists in order to pay off debt from the Seven Years’ War (1756-63).  Coming in the midst of economic hardship in the colonies, the Stamp Act aroused vehement resistance.  Parliament pushed forward with the …

Serendipity!

Sometimes the most interesting things are the things you learn by accident.  So, I did my normal Spymaster program at Princeton on September 12, 2021 and in this program, I demonstrate invisible inks.  My invisible ink (for cost and safety constraints) is a Na2HCO3 (baking soda) and turmeric reaction.  Unfortunately, when the people who graciously …

Colonial Spymaster (#11) — Letter-locking

Long before email, text, and instant message, important words were passed discreetly from closed palm to palm. To keep the messages private, these hand-written notes were often elaborately folded, sealed with wax, and rigged with anti-tamper devices.  The technique of “locking” letters involves folding the parchment, papyrus, or paper securely so that the letter functions …

Beer Recipe — Privateer Abby Triple Ale

In the summer of 1775, George Washington and the fledgling Continental Army was unable to effectively lay siege to British-occupied Boston because the Royal Navy had a firm command of the sea-lanes and the harbor.  All George Washington could do was observe the flow of enemy supplies into Boston harbor and wondered if intercepting a …

Beer Recipe: Battle of the Kegs — British Brown Ale

With my focus on 18th Century brewing, don’t generally brew extract beers any more but this was the proverbial deal I could not refuse — FREE MALT. You see there was this guy who was cleaning out his homebrew supplies. I learned about him because I was in the market for an old fashion alcohol …

Colonial Spymaster (#13) — Dead Drops

A common procedure used by spies to pass information to their contacts is through the use of a “dead drop.” The spy places the message in a prearranged unattended location, often hidden, and leaves it. Later, his or her compatriot will come and collect the message. Using a “dead drop” means that the spy and …

Colonial Spymaster (#10) — Invisible Inks

One form of secret writing used by both the British and American armies was invisible ink. The secret writing was placed between the lines of an innocent letter and could be discerned by treating the letter with heat or a chemical substance. The recipient placed the paper over the flame of a candle or treated …