OUR BEER AND MEAD
Craft beer brewing has seen an explosion in small breweries and home brewers producing ever more creative beers, using complex brewing techniques, wider varieties of adjuncts with genetically modified yeasts, barleys, and hybrid hops to produce sometimes overly adventurous styles of beer
We attempt to reflect a more traditional history of brewing and styles adapted for modern tastes
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As well as traditional English hops, we use wild hedgerow hops and locally grown adjuncts such as meadowsweet, bog myrtle, rosemary, juniper, yarrow and rosehip making each batch unique. Malted barley, wheat, rye & oats are organically sourced from local suppliers
Alewives Hazy Pale
In 2022 we brewed a wedding ale, a light rounded beer with citra hops. In Aug 2023 our 'Alewives Wedding Hazy Pale' received a silver award in the Session Pale, Blond and Golden Ales category in the Great British Beer Festival homebrew competition, Olympia London.
The tradition of a “wedding ale” or “bride ale” dates to medieval times and involves the brewing and selling of ale to help fund the wedding expenses and support the newlyweds. This was often the task of the bride’s family, typically the women, who were traditionally responsible for brewing as part of their day-to-day domestic life. However, such was the communal nature of a medieval wedding, the wider community often got involved contributing ingredients and labour.
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The etymology of the modern word “bridal” is often confused by a misinterpretation of the Anglo-Saxon term “brýd-ealoþ” translated as “bride ale”, but where the suffix “ale” actually meant a feast or banquet at which “much ale was drunk”. Therefore, the modern word “bridal” is indirectly associated with the brewing of a wedding ale.
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For a more detailed explanation, see Bride ale – too many of you are getting this wrong by award winning beer writer Martyn Cornell, and the book Bride Ales and Penny Weddings by R.A.Houston.
Santa Rosa Mead
Rosehip Mead, also known as Rhodomel, is a rose flavoured mead whose origins date back to ancient Greece. Along with Honey, the other main ingredient is Rosehips, for us specifically the fruit, or ‘hips’ of the Dog Rose (Rosa canina). The fruit ripen in September and October, when they are picked and lightly boiled to soften them before being pressed, and the resulting liquor added to the honey solution prior to fermentation. They are high in vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals.
This association with roses, inspired us to name our mead after Saint Rose of Lima (Santa Rosa de Lima), [1586–1617], the patron saint of embroidery, gardening & the cultivation of blooming flowers, renowned for her beauty and on whose death it was reported that roses started falling from the sky over the city of Lima in Peru, where she lived and dedicated her life to God.
Elderflower Wine
Native to Europe, Elder trees were considered sacred by ancient druids, and venerated for their healing properties by virtue of the Elder Mother spirit who was believed to live within them. By the medieval period, Christianity had transformed the Elder Mother into a witch who could disguise herself as an Elder, though by contrast, the trees were believed to protect against dark witchcraft and evil.
Elder trees bloom for a few weeks in late May and early June, with delicate and aromatic clusters of cream-coloured flowers, the basis of elderflower wine which is deeply rooted in European tradition dating back to the medieval period, and particularly in cooler regions where grapes could not flourish.
Using Elderflowers from trees well away from the roadside and chemical contaminants, we’ve created a light, refreshing, delicate & slightly dry sparkling Elderflower wine.
Our mead is made from honey supplied by Millhouse Honey, from bees kept at the Jolly Farmer and in another apiary in Burwell. Honey is for sale via Facebook, or contact millhousehoney@btinternet.com
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