I brew beer for events and with very few exceptions (generally fundraisers), I GIVE beer to reenactors (especially soldiers and camp followers). All I ask is that you drink responsibly and RETURN THE BOTTLES. These bottles are expensive and difficult to find. Sure, I could use cheap disposables but that disrupts the image we want …
Continue reading “A Gentle Reminder from the Regimental Brewmeister”
“Air and Exercise” = being whipped with a Cat-o-Nine-Tails. Prior to the arrival of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, American officers often imitated their British peers. In a rather startling example, George Washington once lobbied congress for permission to allow 500 lashes — “Air and Exercise”– as punishment to maintain discipline the Continental soldiers! Congress …
Continue reading “Beer Recipe: Air and Exercise — Rattleskull”
Which weighs more, a ton of lead or a tun of feathers? Sounds absurd today but in the 18th Century this is actually a legitimate question. How many feathers can you pack in a 256-gallon cask? A lot more than 2000 pounds! In Colonial America, minding your “P’s and Q’s” isn’t about etiquette, its about …
Continue reading “Basic Colonial Brewing #4 — Minding your “P’s” and “Q’s””
Where was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War fought? If definitely was not at Yorktown! As humiliating as Cornwallis’ defeat at Yorktown was it did not cripple the British war effort in America. Most of the British Army was in New York where Washington and Rochambeau originally planned to engage them. Losing Cornwallis’ …
During the month of February, the Regimental Brewmeister is trying his hand at producing gin. Yes, this is distilled and NO, you cannot try some but I am finding that gin is incredibly easy to make and easy to make well. https://videopress.com/v/dYaM5Qcj?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Gin’s core ingredient, juniper, has been combined with alcohol as far back as …
Reenactors seem to revel in the debate over historical accuracy. We either passionately focus on authenticity or we bristle at those who do. Colonial brewers are reenactors and we run the gamut from casual historical entertainers to passionate academic historians. There is a place for everyone but we need to acknowledge the range of expression …
Continue reading “Basic Colonial Brewing #3 — What is a “Colonial Beer?””
Okay, like the other spirits at Fort Mifflin, we cannot definitively tell whether this rum exists. Some people have had very close and memorable encounters but there are true deniers as well. This is a robust concoction distilled in the manner similar to how John Hancock would have made bootleg rum. Rumbustion is rumpus uproar, …
Okay, TECHNICALLY this is not a beer. According to Reinheitsgebot, beer must be made with malted BARLEY and this beer uses corn but AMERICAN beer is often made with whatever grain is available. I have dedicated this to the Whiskey Rebellion. During the American Revolution, individual states incurred significant debt. In 1790 Treasury Secretary Alexander …
Continue reading ““Beer” Recipe — Whiskey Rebellion Corn Beer”
Sadly, I spent very little time on the cooking side of the Cast Iron Chef event but the brewing was VERY SUCCESSFUL. We had ten journeyman brewers who were very hands on (see photos below). We also debuted the new 1 bbl brewing set-up. I spent a significant amount of time (and money) building new …
Want an opportunity to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger for an immersive history experience this winter. Come to Fort Mifflin for a taste of life in early 19th century Philadelphia! Join the Regimental Brewmeister and our team of hearth cooks for a unique hands-on experience in early 19th century foodways. Take up an …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 