re: #54 Blind Frog Belly White

Apparently the early Americans tried a number of things to flavor and preserve beer, in the absence of hops. One was spruce buds. Anchor brewery, being history-minded and loving experimentation, once brewed a Spruce Beer, using spruce buds just like our ancestors.

It was horrible. Like the bastard child of beer and Pine Sol.

The utterly worst? Cock beer. Yes, a dead rooster was suspended in the ale to “flavor” it. I know a group that tried it once even knowing damn well it would be as hideous as we expected. I will always prefer a nice brown barley malt, a fair bit of hops and enough time to smooth the rough edges (which is what hops really gives it :)