May 18 & 19
10 AM – 6 PM
Pennypacker Mills
5 Haldeman Road
Schwenksville, PA 19473

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 want to know just what beer tasted like in 1770, or perhaps you just enjoy a good story and some fine beer.  If any of these are you then you should join the Regimental Brewmeister for this immersion event and learn to brew like our forefathers.

This will be a rolling demonstration throughout the day as part of Pennypacker’s Revolutionary War Encampment at the Mills. This weekend of history and excitement will feature live demonstrations, musicians, speakers, and of course an encampment of Revolutionary War Soldiers. 

Expeditions of this magnitude were not possible in the 18^th Century without vast quantities of beer (DON”T DRINK THE WATER!).  I will, therefore, be running a full, hands-on, demonstration where you can just watch, taste, hear, and smell the process, this is a full immersion experience!  Step back in time and join the team as we brew the wort for Spruce Beer to be drunk by the Continental Army. Beer was so critical to the health of the army that George Washington ordered his quartermasters in 1775 to provide each man “One quart of Spruce Beer per man, pr diem” in order to keep them fit for service during the siege of Boston.

At this event, you will learn:

• The general history of beer and brewing in America and how the practice rose from a basic task performed in nearly every household to a profession which fed the various Taverns and Alehouses of our new nation.
• The roles of the Colonial Tavern in the social, political, and civic life of early America.
• Why everyone drank beer all day in order to stay healthy.
• The difference between the parti-gyyle, the hoffbrau, and the small beer.  Who drank what and why so many styles from a single batch of malt?
• Why beer was so critical to early life in America and how it fueled the debates that led to revolution
• How to make beer with only your five senses and some basic field kitchen equipment
• Beer Styles of the 18th Century and how to adapt historical recipes to work with modern supplies.
• How beer in the 18th Century was very different than what we call beer today.

During necessary breaks in the process please take some time to take a guided tour of the mansion, visit the museum shop and the other demonstrations, and if you are game, try your hand at a little spycraft in cahoots with one of General Howe’s spies who is operating out of the brewery…. 

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Want to have the
Regimental Brewmeister
at your site or event?

You can hire me.

https://colonialbrewer.com/yes-you-can-hire-me-for-your-event-or-site/