General Jeffery Amherst's Spruce Beer, 1759

Spruce Beer Receipe

Take 7 Pounds of good Spruce & boil it well tills the bark peels off, then take the Spruce out & put three Gallons of Molasses to the Liquor & boil it again, scum it well as it boils, then take it out the Kettle & put it into a cooler, boil the remainder of the Water sufficient for a Barrel of thirty Gallons, if the Kettle is not large enough to boil it together, when milkwarm in the Cooler put a Pint of Yest into it and mix well. Then put in the Barrel and let it work for two or three days, keep filling it up as it works out. When done working, bung it up with a Tent Peg in the Barrel to give it vent every now and then. It may be used in two or three days after. If wanted to be bottled it should stand a fortnight in the Cask. It will keep a great while.

Nachweis:

Webster, J. Clarence, ed., The Journal of Jeffrey Amherst, Recording the Military Career of Gerneral Amherst in America from 1758 to 1763, (Toronto: Riverson Press, 1931), 152.

Spruce Beer Order, 1759

Spruce Beer will be Brewed for the Health and Conveniency of the Troops, which will be served at prime Cost ; 5 Quarts of Molasses will be put into every Barrel of Spruce Beer ; each Gallon cost nearly 3 Coppers. The Quarter-Masters of the Regiments, Regulars and Provincials, are to give Notice to Lieut. Colo. Robison of the Quantity each Corps are desirous to receive, for which they must five Receipts and pay the Money before the Regiments marches. Each Regiment to send a Man acquainted with Brewing, or that is best capable of assisting the Brwers, to the Brewery to-morrow Morning at 6 o'clock, at the Rivulet on the Left of Montgomerys. Those Men are to Remain, and are to be paid at the Rate of 18% Currency per Day. One Serjt. of the Regulars and one of the Provencials to super-intend the Brewery, who will be paid 1s 6d per Day. Spruce Beer will be delivered to the Regiments on Thursday Evening or Friday Morning.

Nachweis:

O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey, ed., Commissary Wilson's Orderly Book, Expedition of the British and Provincial Army, under Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Amherst, Against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, 1759, (Albany, N.Y: J. Munsel, 1857), 19-20.

Quellenbeschreibung 1

Als Zutaten für die Herstellung des Bieres wurden Fichte, Molasse, Hefe, Likör und Wasser benötigt. Für den sofortigen Verzehr als auch für die Abfüllung in Flaschen enthält das Rezept Hinweise. Die Gärung erfolgte in großen Fässern und belief sich auf zwei bis drei Tage.

Quellenbeschreibung 2

General Amherst verbot als Oberbefehlshaber der Britischen Armee den Verzehr von Rum und anderen Spirituosen in der Zeit des French und Indian Wars (1754-1763). Ausgenommen von diesem Verbot war aber Spruce Beer. Dieses Bier galt als gesundheitsfördernd, u.a um gegen Skorbut vorzubeugen und natürlich um die Zufriedenheit der Soldaten zu gewährleisten.