flipClear Abbey Ale
Clear Abbey Ale
Why this dish? In Flanders and Brabant, where the vine grows poorly, it was ale—barley beer bittered with herbs—that quenched the thirst of monks and nuns at every meal. Abbeys brewed their own drink; Beatrice's community drank this light ale rather than sometimes dubious water.
A rustic, cloudy beer of malted barley and water, bittered not with hops but with marsh-herb 'gruit'. Low in alcohol, refreshing, it was the daily drink of the medieval North.
Our northern land bears few vines, so we drink what God gives us: ale, made from the barley of our fields. The cellarer sister germinates the grain, dries it, brews it in hot water, then throws in the bitter gruit herbs so it keeps. It is no drunkard's drink—it is clear and weak, and each sister has her measured portion, no more, no less. Drink it soberly, and bless the hand that brewed.
- •Malted barley — a full setier (fermentable sugar)
- •Spring water — in proportion (base)
- •Gruit (yarrow, bog myrtle) — a handful (bitterness and preservation)
- •Leaven from previous brew — a little (fermentation)
Clear Abbey Ale
A rustic, cloudy beer of malted barley and water, bittered not with hops but with marsh-herb 'gruit'. Low in alcohol, refreshing, it was the daily drink of the medieval North.
Why this dish? In Flanders and Brabant, where the vine grows poorly, it was ale—barley beer bittered with herbs—that quenched the thirst of monks and nuns at every meal. Abbeys brewed their own drink; Beatrice's community drank this light ale rather than sometimes dubious water.
Our northern land bears few vines, so we drink what God gives us: ale, made from the barley of our fields. The cellarer sister germinates the grain, dries it, brews it in hot water, then throws in the bitter gruit herbs so it keeps. It is no drunkard's drink—it is clear and weak, and each sister has her measured portion, no more, no less. Drink it soberly, and bless the hand that brewed.
Ingredients (period version)
- Malted barley — a full setier (fermentable sugar)
- Spring water — in proportion (base)
- Gruit (yarrow, bog myrtle) — a handful (bitterness and preservation)
- Leaven from previous brew — a little (fermentation)
Ingredients
- Light barley malt extract — 500 g (or 1 kg crushed malt to mash) (sugars)
- Water — 5 liters (base)
- Dried yarrow — 15 g (if gruit unavailable) (bitterness)
- Brewer's yeast — 1 packet (fermentation)
Method
- Heat water to ~70 °C, dissolve malt extract (or mash crushed malt 60 min then filter).
- Boil the wort 45 min with yarrow for bitterness and sterilization.
- Cool quickly to 20 °C, transfer to a clean container.
- Add yeast, seal with airlock, and ferment 5 to 7 days in a cool place.
- Bottle, wait a few days, then serve chilled and in moderation.
- Note: slightly alcoholic beverage—for adults only.
How it was made : Before the spread of hops (which became prevalent in the 14th-15th c.), beer was bittered with 'gruit', a mix of herbs (bog myrtle, yarrow, wild rosemary) whose sale was often a seigneurial or ecclesiastical monopoly. Low-alcohol ale was the safe table drink of the North, distributed in regulated rations in monasteries.
The contemporary twist : Served in a pewter tankard with a fine foam, this 'gruit ale' is a hit among craft brewers rediscovering hopless beers.
Beatrice of Nazareth · Charactorium
