Tavern Fare

[MoxieFu]

Drink: What beer or ale would be available in a tavern year-round? I know that beer does not have as long a shelf life as wine or liquor, but how long does it last? If a party is arriving at a tavern in early spring, would there be any beer available and how good would it be?

I am assuming the usual pseudo-European, pseudo-Medieval setting.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Most Medieval taverns made their own or had a local brewer in the area. Shelf life was very short, 3 to 5 days, this can be used a the quality of the beer, poor is old beer where high is the freshest.

Types of Beer
Basically, beer is categorized into one of three different categories: lagers, ales, and the rest fall into a category called specialty beers.

The difference between a lager and an ale is the type of yeast used in fermentation.

 

[ahayford]

Couldn't they essentially make fresh beer/ale year round, assuming they had the raw grains and ingredients?

 

[Meatboy]

Most Medieval taverns made their own or had a local brewer in the area. Shelf life was very short, 3 to 5 days, this can be used a the quality of the beer, poor is old beer where high is the freshest.

Types of Beer
Basically, beer is categorized into one of three different categories: lagers, ales, and the rest fall into a category called specialty beers.

The difference between a lager and an ale is the type of yeast used in fermentation.

The shelf life, is that for opened casks? I was under the impression that beer could last a much longer time than that if it was properly sealed inside a keg or what not. Especially if treated properly like say IPA which due to being over hopped had extended longevity on voyages.

 

[Umbran]

Types of Beer
Basically, beer is categorized into one of three different categories: lagers, ales, and the rest fall into a category called specialty beers.

That's perhaps not the major distinction for a medieval tavern. More important is whether you're talking beer, or "small beer".

"Small beer" is low-alcohol beer, sometimes served unfiltered (and thus kind of porridgey). The point here was that the water supplies were none-too-good, but you don't want to drink full beer all day, as you'd be drunk all day. Small beer is brewed long enough for the alcohol to kill off microbes, but not enough that you're stumbling around soused all the time.

 

[Hand of Evil]

The shelf life, is that for opened casks? I was under the impression that beer could last a much longer time than that if it was properly sealed inside a keg or what not. Especially if treated properly like say IPA which due to being over hopped had extended longevity on voyages.

yes for open beer. If you had a cold room you could extent the life but without Pasteurization, microbial growth is going to start taking place during the beers creation, you just are not going to have a long shelf life.

 

[MortonStromgal]

Sealing it was rather difficult IIRC but yes you can have it sit in a cool place for a good long while (well months, I don't think it would last years) if its sealed. I know salt and pitch were common sealants.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Now, if you add magic, a lot of monks / clerics controlled the making of beers in history, you can have a way to make the shelf life greater.

Plus, I just like the thought of a Paladin of Beer!

 

[MoxieFu]

So would it be possible for a tavern to have a constant supply of beer all year long provided that they (or their brewer) had supplies of barley and hopps at the time?

It also seems like there would be a fairly large supply of marmite produced as well. I don't think they would let that by-product go to waste.

 

[MoxieFu]

Now, if you add magic, a lot of monks / clerics controlled the making of beers in history, you can have a way to make the shelf life greater.

Plus, I just like the thought of a Paladin of Beer!

St. Guinness!