I mentioned in a recent post our intention of following the tradition here in Britain of brewing a commerative beer whenever there is a royal wedding. Hopefully, we will get a brewday for this on Saturday and I thought I’d share a few more thoughts having contemplated what sort of beer to go for.
For centuries, beer has long been associated with weddings. In fact the word “bridal” actually comes from “Bride Ale” which was a special beer brewed for weddings, and wedding presents were traditionally given by guests in exchange for beer. Going way back, this “bridal ale” was traditionally made from honey – essentially, some kind of mead or honey beer. It was believed to aid fertility and heighten the chance of producing a male heir. Normally the father of the bride would supply enough of it to last the newly-weds an entire lunar month. This is thought to be the origin of the term “honeymoon”.
Despite my past success in brewing mead, I think we will do a proper beer for Will and Kate’s nuptials, but possibly using honey as an ingredient. Several craft breweries do some kind of honey ale, good examples being Wells and Young’s “Waggle Dance” which uses South American honey and British hops, Fuller’s “Honey Dew”, and the strong Belgian beer, “Barbar”. However, I’m toying with the idea of doing a variation on T’ej – a traditional Ethiopian beer made with honey. There is an interesting-looking recipe in Sam Calagione’s book “An Enthusiasts Guide to Homebrew Beers: Making Ales, Lagers and Unique Hybrid Styles”
Fendog spent some time in Ethiopia when he was on the run a couple of years ago, and I’m sure he thoroughly researched the local brews. I will ask his advice.