Well, it’s finally winter and I have begun planning for 2026. If you want to book the Regimental Brewmeister in 2026, please contact me soon so we can block the calendar.   I already have dates reserved for certain sites and my schedule fills quickly.  If there is a date that you want to secure as a tentative booking, please do so now so that I will not book over that time.

Add excitement and authentic color to an event, or create more traffic to your site, with Philadelphia’s best Colonial Brewer and tradesman.  Whether it is a reenactment, motion picture, a tavern night for a private event, or other endeavor, I can bring can bring a real sense of authenticity and fun to your event and make it an occasion that people will long remember.  Every large gathering of people in the 18th Century needed a brewer.  I not only provided the libations that as Doctor Franklin so clearly stated “is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” but I also make sure the that people remained healthy and free of waterborne disease.

Philadelphia is also a great center of science and technical learning in the 18th Century.  Perhaps your group would like to meet Joseph Priestly first hand and learn how he discovered the element Oxygen.  Perhaps your group wants to learn the fascinating story of how in 1769, we actually measured the size of the solar system.  You may want to see an 18th Century surveying crew in action or observe a brewery or distillery.   I bring all of these to real tangible life.  In my presentations, participants are encouraged not just to watch but to take part in the using the tools and working through the problems and, of course, drinking the beer.

I have conduct presentations and tours for the National Park Service, Carpenters Hall, Pottsgrove Manor, Hope Lodge, Graeme Park, and with the 2nd PA/43rd Regiment of Foot and several other Philadelphia region historic sites for several years. I routinely speak to large audiences and my presentation is tight, interactive, dynamic, and engaging.  I am eager to expand my repartee to additional skills so are looking to develop something new, I am also interested in working on those sorts of project.  My rates are very reasonable and I give substantial discounts to non-profit historical sites.  Let’s turn back the pages of history in an extraordinary way!

My persona that I bring to events are as follows:

• Regimental Brewmeister – Long before the American Revolutionary War, the British Army in North America learned from the French the importance of spruce beer for treating and preventing scurvy and keeping their soldiers “fit for service.” John Knox, an officer in the 43rd Regiment of Foot, insisted that his troops at Louisburg (1745) be supplied with spruce beer, “this liquor being thought necessary for the preservation of the health of our men.”  Like brewers of the era, I do all my work without instrumentation, relying upon my basic senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch to do the work modern brewers have instrumentation like clocks, scales, hydrometers, and thermometers for. My aim is to recreate the methods, brews, and experience of a brewer from 1778 while telling stories of the American Revolution.
• Colonial Scientist — I present as a first-person impression of David Rittenhouse the noted astronomer and second president of the Philadelphia Philosophical Society. I focus on explaining how the “modern” man of 1771 uses science as part of his worldview in the Age of Reason.  We discuss and demonstrate the complex changes that were going on in the practice of science and how these discussions and debates created what we recognize as modern empirical science. I want to show the effect of both organized national programs like the observations of the Transit of Venus as well as patient structured observations by dedicated individuals like Joseph Priestly whose findings challenged long held beliefs. Finally, I want to show how the explosion of written. publications and correspondence fundamentally changed the way we think about problems.
• 18th Century Surveyor — I present as a first-person impression of David Rittenhouse the noted astronomer, clockmaker, and founder of the US Mint.  This will be an interactive program where participants are encouraged to employ the tools and techniques of the 18th Century Surveyor and actively measure and map a parcel of land. Participants will be taught to site lines using the compass and range poles. They will then measure those lines using the Gunter’s chain as well as measure splines off those lines for irregular boundaries. Finally, participants will be encouraged to use these measurements to draw maps and write property descriptions (which they may take away).
• Admiral of the Blue Apron, Tavernkeeper — Patrons are invited to an evening of storytelling and merriment during which they can enjoy and 18th Century tavern experience complete with period beer, cocktails, competitive toasts, various entertainments, and maybe even a rousting political debate.
• Revolutionary Spymaster – This is an interactive program. As the Spy Master (dressed in Military attire) I will recruit and train spies and provide them with hands on exercises to practice their spy craft before being sent into the British encampments to collect intelligence. We will present several codes and cyphers for the participants to encode and decode messages, “dead drop” will be established in the environs of Carpenters Hall for our spies to exchange messages with other spies, and we will have discussions of famous spies in the George Washington’s and General Howe’s employ.

I also run hands on, immersive classes in 18^th Century brewing where participants use my gear to brew their own beer using 18^th Century materials and methods.  To learn more about my immersive brewing classes see: https://colonialbrewer.com/resources/programs-and-ideas/18th-century-brewing-an-immersive-history-experience/

For general information on my other talents, please refer to: https://colonialbrewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/interpretation-cv.pdf

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

In addition to reenacting events, I also do lectures and talks.  Here are some of the topics I cover:

• Brewing for the Army – Washington’s General Orders stipulate that each man is to be issued “… one quart of good spruce beer per man per diem.” This practice actually dates back to the Seven Years/French & Indian War as a French then British practice. The Regimental Brewmeister discusses the history of brewing and why it is critical for successful military campaigns in 18th Century North America.
• 18th Century Cocktails — We all know the Sugar Trade and Rum fueled the Boston and Philadelphia economies in the 1760’s. There is no denying that our founding fathers frequently enjoyed a stiff drink. While the working classes mainly indulged in beer and cider, rum and applejack. Those who could afford it looked to Europe to slake their thirst, with old-world elixirs like madeira, sherry and Holland gin all popular along the eastern seaboard. The Cocktail Hour was not really a think in 18th Century America. But people were beginning to imbibe what we would clearly recognize as mixed drinks today. The Admiral of the Blue Apron discusses tavern mixed drinks, shares a few recipes, and delves into why these concoctions were so popular.
• 18^th Century Parlor Games — Before electricity, television and the internet, parlor games were a popular form of entertainment to put boredom at bay during the short days and long, dark evenings of winter.  They also served significant social and cultural roles fostering unity and social interaction, teaching youth proper decorum and social graces, and facilitating courtship and matchmaking. This workshop will explore several popular parlor and tavern games and allow participants to try their hands with at least two popular games.  We will discuss the social, political, and educational value of these pastimes and consider how to reinvigorate our next dinner parties and family gatherings.
• The Importance of Taverns in America – The Tavern Act ensured that public houses were constructed along England’s (and her colony’s) major highways and at her ports. This was done principally to support commerce but since these were often the largest and most accessible buildings in many communities, taverns took a major role in keeping communities together, sharing news, and ensuring that the government functioned. Taverns hosted militia musters, court proceedings, polls, and post offices. The tavern was where people gathered to share news and engage in trade. These institutions were far more than just bars and hotels, they were the heart of many communities, second only to the church. The Admiral of the Blue Apron discusses how the tavern was instrumental in both preventing anarchy and driving revolution in the American colonies.
• Jews in the American Revolution – Popular histories tend to focus the discussion of “freedom of religion” on Protestant Christians. Jews and Muslims, while a small minority, were also residents of the North American colonies (especially the colonies of France and Spain as well as the British cities of Savanah and Philadelphia). Even though places like Philadelphia claimed to be open to all people and all faiths but in reality, much of American society was only open to Christians. Despite these injustices, Jews rallied to support the cause of American Independence. The Regimental Brewmeister discusses significant contributions of Jews in the cause of Independence and the challenges they faced.

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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/