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.” When British troops were again involved in a campaign against the French in Nova Scotia in 1757, their commander, the Earl of Loudoun, insisted on an allowance of two quarts of spruce beer per man each day. General Jeffrey Amherst, chief of British forces in North America, insisted that the troops be well supplied with spruce beer, “for the health and convenience of the troops.” A brewery was set up at the head of Lake George with each regiment donating one man to help with the brewing. When Amherst’s troops moved north to capture the French Fort Carillon, subsequently renamed Fort Ticonderoga, each regiment took with it eight barrels of spruce beer. Following the British lead, George Washington quickly adopted the use of spruce beer in order to keep his troops fit for service. “The following is the Ration of Provisions allowed by the Continental Congress unto each Soldier. …One quart of Spruce Beer per man, pr diem,…”
The Regimental Brewmeister is my interpretation of what a brewer in HM 43rd would be. It is an amalgamation of Captain Jonathan Gilford from Thomas Fleming’s Liberty Tavern (1976), and my portrayal of a Private in HM 43rd Regiment of Foot. The Regimental Brewmeister presents as a retired British soldier who is now a middle-class journeyman brewer. I dress well, and I want to present myself in a manner that shows that while I am not a Gentleman, I am not a common laborer either. You will find military service has made a distinct impression upon the Regimental Brewmeister, and he is not apolitical. Despite his loyalist roots, he is a stanch supporter of republican ideals but can argue both sides of the conflict.
The equipment I use is very basic. The beer I brew is my own recipe, derived but not copied from 18th Century sources. 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.
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 