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”
Perhaps it has something to do with the week I am spending in Texas or perhaps it is the fall-out from having watched The Serpent Queen on STARZ but my mind is stuck on “Bloody Mary.” I’m absolutely talking about the cocktail (I need 3 right now) but also the first Queen of England to …
An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons. The first orrery that was a planetarium of the modern era was produced in 1704, and one was presented to Charles Boyle (who penned the Ideal Gas Law), the 4th Earl …
Private ownership of land in the British colonies of North America, provided self-sufficiency for many and extravagant wealth for a few. The idea of land as property came from England and accurate descriptions of property and its boundaries are essential. For this reason, surveyors were essential not just in the newly acquired lands of North …
Continue reading “The Problem of True North vs Compass North”
Okay, we are now 167 days since the worst president in American history officially took office. While literally tons of ink have been spilled explaining the political disaster of Donald Trump, I will spare you my analysis of him as a failed politician other than to say we are in for a huge series of …
Medical Ketchup During the 1800’s ketchup was used for medicinal purposes. Ketchup was “brewed” as a cure for diarrhea, jaundice, indigestion, and rheumatism. Originally, ketchup was prepared with mushrooms as a primary ingredient, instead of tomato. So, the next time you’re at the dinner table in one of the 97% of American households that have …
I just completed a new program offering. 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. For those who could not afford to light the entirety of their home or to keep a fire lit …
Today marks the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and while a better date for the founding of our great nation is September 17th, 1787, this is America’s birthday. Since the country was founded, it has grown from 13 independent states with about 2.5 million people to 50 states and 14 territories with a …
In my presentation as Regimental Brewmeister, I frequently extol the benefits of beer over the local water. While drinking beer will protect you from Typhus and Cholera, there is a slightly greater chance that you will contract Yellow Fever if you drink beer. Turns out that the alcohol you’re drinking, and that you are excreting …
Continue reading “Okay, I have bad news: Beer makes humans more attractive to mosquitoes.”
When the U.S. Mint opened in Philadelphia, coins were made of copper, silver, and gold, in accordance with the Coinage Act of 1792. Because these coins were made of precious metal, their value was directly related to the amount of metal they contained. Unfortunately, these coins were also vulnerable to a practice known as “clipping.” Clipping …
Continue reading “Ruffles have Ridges … and so do US Coins!”
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 