A short history of spruce beer part two: the North American connection

Early European explorers in North America had to be shown the healthy properties of the spruce tree by the existing inhabitants. When the Breton explorer Jacques Cartier overwintered in Quebec in 1535-36 on his second visit to the land he had named Canada, almost all his men fell ill with scurvy through lack of fresh… Read More A short history of spruce beer part two: the North American connection

A short history of spruce beer part one: the Danzig connection

Spruce beer is made from the tips of spruce trees. Except that the connection is not as simple as it appears: it is pretty much a coincidence that spruce beer and spruce trees have the same name. There are actually two traditions of spruce beer in Britain: the older, the Danzig or Black Beer tradition,… Read More A short history of spruce beer part one: the Danzig connection