This book is about brewing in general—not just making beer but having fun fermenting all kinds of delicious concoctions with whatever we find on offer from nature, be that the wilderness or our backyards or gardens. We’re talking odd, wild, and primitive beers, sodas, herbal meads, inebriating (or not) infusions, and many other types of fermented drinks that are sometimes hard to classify. It’s about exploring boozy possibilities in creative ways, the way humans have for a very long time. What’s not to like about that?
My big discovery when working on this book was the fact that brewing is really a continuous, linear activity. We like to chop up this creative line into small, discrete segments and impose etiquettes on them: That’s a beer, that’s a wine, or that’s a soda. But the truth is that humans, since the dawn of time, have been brewing boozy concoctions that often transcend regular labels. You’ll find all kinds of interesting drinks that are really a blend between beers and wines, or sodas and beers. And it’s all good: Brewing should be about creativity, flavors, and in some cases medicinal applications. Like many enjoyable activities, it’s a lot less fun when you’re told what you can or cannot do.
It’s an interesting statement for an author to make, but I would like you to look at this book not in terms of precise recipes you can make at home but more as a book of concepts and ideas that will enable you to explore and create with your own local ingredients. The fun is really in dreaming up and brewing your own delicious drinks, so look at the techniques described here and see what you can come up with!
If there is an overall message I want to convey, it is that brewing is fun, adventurous, and extremely rewarding. Don’t be afraid to experiment: You might make a few mistakes here and there, mostly in the beginning, but those will be dwarfed by the countless yummy drinks you’ll create and be successful at making. Hopefully the basic procedures in this book will help, and I can’t wait to hear about the delicious beverages you’ll make with the plants surrounding you.
If you already have experience in making beers, you may find some of the methods described here a bit primitive and unusual: the use of molasses and other sources of sugar (including insect honeydew) instead of malt; wild yeast extraction from local fruits, flowers, and plants; unusual bitter wild plants instead of regular hops; and the overall lack of grains. I hope this book will nevertheless inspire you to explore your own terroir and possibly integrate some local flavors into your brews.
The most important message from this book is really: Explore, have fun, and create! That’s the stuff life should be made of.
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