Yes it would. I read once that it is thought up to 40% of a harvest went to the making of beer in some places. So, that should be enough to last year around.
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Tavern Fare
- Thread starter MoxieFu
- Start date
Yes it would. I read once that it is thought up to 40% of a harvest went to the making of beer in some places. So, that should be enough to last year around.
CharlesRyan
Adventurer
Some English country pubs still retain the tradition of hanging dried hops from the rafters around the public rooms. Purely decor in this day and age, but I'd bet it descends from the habit of storing hops in that manner to keep it available year-round for brewing. Many pubs had their own hops kilns.
As for the larger question of what drinks would be served, don't forget the role that region plays. Beer is common in large grain-producing areas, but wine might be the norm in areas where vineyards are more widespread and/or grain production is limited.
How much choice you see depends on the historical setting you're sort of emulating and how urbane the tavern. A true village pub is likely to serve only locally-brewed fare, but taverns in cities and along trade routes might have a few choices from further afield, especially if you're campaign style is more late-Middle Ages/Renaissance in inspiration.
(It so happens I recently wrote up a big blog post (complete with lots of photos) on what pubs are really like and what that means for the gamer here: Reason 2 Why Every Gamer Should Live in England: The Selborne Arms The Fascinating World of Charles Ryan)
As for the larger question of what drinks would be served, don't forget the role that region plays. Beer is common in large grain-producing areas, but wine might be the norm in areas where vineyards are more widespread and/or grain production is limited.
How much choice you see depends on the historical setting you're sort of emulating and how urbane the tavern. A true village pub is likely to serve only locally-brewed fare, but taverns in cities and along trade routes might have a few choices from further afield, especially if you're campaign style is more late-Middle Ages/Renaissance in inspiration.
(It so happens I recently wrote up a big blog post (complete with lots of photos) on what pubs are really like and what that means for the gamer here: Reason 2 Why Every Gamer Should Live in England: The Selborne Arms The Fascinating World of Charles Ryan)
Niccodaemus
First Post
I was watching a special the other day on Roman pottery. There is a hill in Italy that is composed entirely of discarded pottery. The deal was, they could seal a pot, and keep things fresh for a long time, so goods were available that originated long distances away. But once opened, they could not re-use the pottery due to contamination, so they threw it on a pile that became an actual hill.
Thunderfoot
Hero
My time in Germany helps a bit with this.
The German area to the South known as the Bayern (a large southern area to include Bavaria all the way down to the Austrian border) is a very large hop producing region. They still brew and barrel the old fashioned way for many of the "Holiday" brews, specifically the winter Christmas Lager and winter ales.
The barrels can last up to two years once sealed and are tapped with a traditional wooden tap. The taps are always new and covered with bee's wax to both seal the tap and prevent contamination. The downward spout reduces airborne contaminants and the alcohol sterilizes as it pours. As long as you don't re-use glasses or tankards (something they learned not to do very early on) the actual keg can last up to two weeks.
It usually doesn't though because the brews are so special they usually drain about two to three kegs nights for a small establishment (100 patrons or so) and of course the large brew halls can go through enough to make you think the entire years economy was focused only on the Holiday brewing.
And I agree that region has a lot to do with the drink 'preferred', in the area; for instance the traditional Bocks are mostly brewed to the north while the ales are brewed farther south. Also Weizen (wheat beer) is enjoyed all over but Heffe-Weizen (heavy wheat beer) is usually found more in the south than the north. France is known for it's wines, but each region (Bordeaux, Champagne, etc.) has it's own take on it.
I would say go with your gut and keep notes, you may even end up re-shaping the topography of the world to suit your needs, or vice versa.
The German area to the South known as the Bayern (a large southern area to include Bavaria all the way down to the Austrian border) is a very large hop producing region. They still brew and barrel the old fashioned way for many of the "Holiday" brews, specifically the winter Christmas Lager and winter ales.
The barrels can last up to two years once sealed and are tapped with a traditional wooden tap. The taps are always new and covered with bee's wax to both seal the tap and prevent contamination. The downward spout reduces airborne contaminants and the alcohol sterilizes as it pours. As long as you don't re-use glasses or tankards (something they learned not to do very early on) the actual keg can last up to two weeks.
It usually doesn't though because the brews are so special they usually drain about two to three kegs nights for a small establishment (100 patrons or so) and of course the large brew halls can go through enough to make you think the entire years economy was focused only on the Holiday brewing.
And I agree that region has a lot to do with the drink 'preferred', in the area; for instance the traditional Bocks are mostly brewed to the north while the ales are brewed farther south. Also Weizen (wheat beer) is enjoyed all over but Heffe-Weizen (heavy wheat beer) is usually found more in the south than the north. France is known for it's wines, but each region (Bordeaux, Champagne, etc.) has it's own take on it.
I would say go with your gut and keep notes, you may even end up re-shaping the topography of the world to suit your needs, or vice versa.
Will Doyle
Explorer
In medieval Europe - especially the North - beer was drunk daily, so it was readily available all year round. It was considered an essential part of the daily diet.
A great quote from the Wikipedia article on the subject:
A great quote from the Wikipedia article on the subject:
I'd like to mention cider as a drink that would probably be available in taverns, particularly in temperate countries where apples are abundant. Cider was traditionally drunk pretty much throughought Western and Southwestern Europe, and since it's fermented for anywhere between 3 months and 3 years, it would be available all year.
I didn't realize cider could keep that long. I had thought of it more as a seasonal drink.
