How Much Booze Did Medieval People Really Drink?

[@HistoryHit]

We absolutely love an authentic medieval pub. Which is the best one you've been to? 🤔

[@tonywilkinson6895]

I live in London and use the Spaniards inn from time to time,that’s nice! also the Sloop inn,while I visit St Ives on holiday, it’s from the 1300’s ,Cheers 🍻

[@joshuataylor3550]

Cittie of Yorke around Holborn, London

[@tonyfranks9551]

St. Albans...Fighting Cock or The Cock...not sure if it still operating.

[@tonyfranks9551]

The Scarlet Arms in the Surrey countryside.

[@brillcareer]

@@joshuataylor3550 Thats a smasher that, ain't it? Though it has been rebuilt, it was to the orignal design

[@keithgraber]

Ha! at 6:25 when they talked about punishment for bad ale, a Budweiser ad immediately kicked in.

[@staninjapan07]

An ad? Why do you allow those?

[@Riff.Wraith]

Budweiser is a lager...

[@Magoover1]

​@@Riff.Wraith....but not a good one😂

[@aeray3581]

😂

[@kommentator9272]

​@@Magoover1 depends on which Budweiser, the Czech one is decent

[@TheKamikazenaz]

Dr Janega's approach to history from the view of the commoner really strikes a modern chord. She constantly returns to "..but what was it like?" These are works that will be appreciated, added to, and debated over for years to come. The format is very engaging; the speakers are intelligent and passionate. Big kudos to all in front of and behind this, and we demand more!

[@ghomerhust]

that single question brings it from scientists and historians to "what did the real people back then actually experience?" and that is the part that makes shows like Time Team so exciting. they did a great job of showing us how their discoveries actually worked into society of the time. that's the fun part!

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Barcelona One USD SGD

[@santyclause8034]

Smoky malt, mugwort and nettles, write it down, write it down...

[@EnglishInfidel]

Speak for yourself I find her extremely off-putting and irritating.

[@SaidAlSeveres]

Dr. Eleanor is my favorite!!!! She has so much style and wit and clearly the brains. Such a great series. I love History Hit.

[@shelleybaptie2942]

What I've enjoyed the most is how Dr. Janega is so excited and enthusiastic about what she is telling us. Far too many Historian present their material in a tone that often puts me to sleep. Not with Dr. Janega! Thank you!

[@Lightcode]

Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya

[@Zoe_KH]

I have no idea how I’m only discovering this channel today. Wha a programme! I genuinely forgot I wasn’t watching a history show on BBC2, exceptional production values and the content is FANTASTIC. Love to see two inspirational women having such in depth and fascinating conversations on a television show…much much much more of this please **SUBSCRIBED**

[@CHRISANDREOU4199]

And unlike the BBC there isn't any racial and or political bias

[@dominofalling2038]

There is also a "History Hit" podcast. A huge variety of history is covered, with a range of different expert presenters (including this lovely Dr Eleanor). I listen to the podcast on Spotify.

[@TigerPrawn_]

@@CHRISANDREOU4199 Everything has a bias

[@BobUikder-ig4uq]

@@dominofalling2038history hit podcast is literally keeping me alive lol i work at Amazon and have been trying to get an MS diagnosis so I can go on disability but until the insurance approved the mri I’m forced to keep working and the podcast is so good, it’s the only reason I can force myself thru the 10 hr warehouse shifts with raging MS symptoms

[@justinmichael1661]

Can this be a series? Just Dr Janega chatting about the history of pubs all over the UK while having a pint. That would be brilliant.

[@magnusgranskau7487]

prayer and a pint

[@Deimonos85]

she is awesome.. very articulate and fun!

[@rule3036]

Yep she looks like your average academic sot. I bet she is a good laugh for a session😘

[@pikekeke]

@@magnusgranskau7487 All I want to do, All I want to do, All I want to do is praise him.

[@dikkie1000]

She should invite Mark Miller from Tasting History to do that, that would be hours of fun and facts.

[@Adrienne557]

I love watching Dr Eleanor videos. Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of history is inspiring!

[@siphotheguy1870]

You want make sexy time with her?

[@angiedeebs2716]

Agreed! Love her approach to presenting and focusing on ordinary as the real extraordinary!

[@stijnvth]

really have to agree 🙂

[@dazzads]

@@gazzertrnso gross and disrespectful. wtf.

[@gazzertrn]

@@dazzads What? No need to swear .

[@Stitchwitchstitch]

Seriously, Dr. Janega is one of theeeeeee best! She never talks down to anyone even though she’s super educated, she offers clear info and finds simple ways to answer things- and is naturally funny- so it’s a pleasure to watch/listen to her! Thanks, Dr. J!

[@Dwynfal]

I do wish medieval herb-flavoured ale was available commercially now! I would love to sample what modern brewers would come up with. ❤

[@MichaRabiej]

It is available in beer geek shops.

[@artemisios]

Try some Belgian beers.

[@Dwynfal]

@@artemisios 😂😂😂 I live in Belgium and yes, we have some great beers but I have yet to find a herb-flavoured ale. Lots of fruit ones such as kriek and beers matured in whisky/cognac casks, but no herb ones.

[@NoahCarver-lt6qd]

Jopen Koyt is a gruit ale brewed in the Netherlands. Brewed with a traditional herbal array. Very festive, spicy and rich flavor, although it has the strength of a Belgian Tripel. Not a lite table beer.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

I agree!

[@YassinePineapple]

The brewmaster was phenomenal. Its always intriguing to see an expert talk with such interest about their craft and the history of it. As the grandson of an austrian brewmaster i appreciate it very much

[@geoffboxell9301]

Brewster for a female, Brewer for a male. Brewer is male. Baker is male, Baxter is female.

[@dobiebloke9311]

@@geoffboxell9301 - Very interesting. I never knew that.

[@seanmccuen6970]

@@geoffboxell9301 no shit?

[@cleverusername9369]

​​​@@geoffboxell9301 12:15 she literally calls/refers to herself as a brewer. Also that's like, CENTURIES old and basically Anglo-Saxon. Brewer or baker are both perfectly acceptable words regardless of gender, it's the 21st century.

[@geoffboxell9301]

Now, but not in medieval times. I did this to help folk understand surnames more than anything else.

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

Yeah! More Eleanor!!! I just happened to be rewatching her historical movie videos and this popped up. So excited, she makes medieval history so much fun!

[@billythedog-309]

But she keeps talking about this midieval period.

[@DangerSquiggles]

@@billythedog-309 Seeing as she works in a country that insists on pronouncing the name "Fotheringgay" like "fungy", I think anything is fair game

[@xcalabur18]

Eleanor is a treasure. Could listen to her all day.

[@joanfourie1753]

She's so witty and funny

[@WHJeffB]

@@joanfourie1753 Agree... My wife and I would pay good money to enroll in a class of hers.

[@Tokyofreelance]

This was brilliant. Like someone else said in the comments, it just popped up as a recommendation from nowhere, but has been the most interesting thing I've seen on KZbin for ages.

[@tobiasmccallum9697]

The brewer is an absolute badass. Intelligent, funny and beautiful. And brews beer for a living? Respect

[@gregoriosmith6994]

You forgot sexy.

[@EsmereldaPea]

Who brews beer for a living? My nephew! One of the best brewers in Michigan, IMHO.

[@tyronejones7341]

Reminds me of the Renaissance fairs I love to attend here in California each year ! , but would love to attend a 'British Renaissance fair" !!!!!!!.

[@benjaminperez1149]

My brother in law was in the Royal Navy in the late 60s, 70s and received a rum ration or 3 bottles of beer daily.

[@harsimaja9517]

'Folk etymology' red flags went off with the 'down a peg or two' and I immediately paused and checked - apparently it's very uncertain where it came from. But when I pressed play he admitted as much, and I respected him a lot more. The distinction between someone with an axe to grind and someone who really has a serious openness to facts and complexity in history :)

[@draw4kicks]

This just randomly played for me but it was honestly one of the most interesting history videos I've watched in years on KZbin! Great job guys!

[@dianesterns4961]

One of my best memories was traveling all over England and Scotland with my mother and sister. It was early January so quite brisk. We would walk and enjoy/immerse ourselves in the beautiful architecture, and amazing historical sites. However we would have to pop into a pub to warm up between each activity and sample whiskeys and ales to fortify ourselves. I was actually fine as I lived in New York at the time. However my family is from Texas. They were ice cubes. We hit a LOT of pubs. lol

[@katherinetutschek4757]

Did some January walking in the Rockies this past winter and definitely hit up the pub after! Would love to go in Britain.

[@CHRISANDREOU4199]

Early January "quite brisk" respect 👊

[@davidcreager1945]

What an awesome video ! This really cleared up a lot of misconceptions that I had ! This is the type of show i wish was on the History Channel !!! Instead of shows like : pawn stars . Thanks History Hit , you rock !

[@Emanuele_Sacchi]

That's super interesting, I'm a bit of an alcohol scholar myself, and I love this kind of videos! I've had a few "medieval" beers, created by small brewers and based on "gruit" (a mixture of herbs, as the video explained) instead of hops, and they're indeed pretty different from what we drink today, but I love them!

[@urbanurchin5930]

Yes - but there is quite a bit more to the history of gruits than what was mentioned here. In the beginning, gruits were gathered / formed / sold by the local monasteries. Often, the local king or landowner would decree which gruit would be used in the royal ale. This, in turn, would provide the church with funds in order to continue it's work in the community. The "brothers" or farming clergy would gather the different herbs, plants, roots, and tree barks to create their own unique blends. Some of the blends included early forms of wild hops which is what eventually lead to the plants' wide spread use .

[@katherinetutschek4757]

@@urbanurchin5930 Thanks for the additional information!

[@francispower1418]

A friend of mine who worked for Sport England many years ago would regularly work alongside another gentleman who was the Chief Chaplain of Her Majesty’s Prisons. He was often asked to say grace at formal dinners, which became something of a chore, and so he always used the same form of words for convenience. “Lord Divine, who turned the water into wine, please forgive those foolish men, who tried to turn it back again”.

[@JJONNYREPP]

hurrah said i much to his glee when they turned it back it tasted of wee... such was the chagrin which befall that man he took revenge and shipped them all out to the colonies... which is something else i concurred with. we can't' abide chaps who pish in the beer or supply rank and stale drinking water. not in this day and age....

[@loungedemon]

Love seeing enthusiastic historians with a passion for their arena. Same with Mike Loades and Mary Beard, it's great to see infectious , knowledgeable people enthuse about a subject.

[@nephicus339]

I used to despise watching Mike Loades because he would get so excited he would talk so fast it became garbled. But now I see his excitement, and I just want a job where I get that excited too.

[@CNYKnifeNut]

It's literally contagious. I can get interested in just about anything as long as the person talking about it is really knowledgeable and you can see that knowledge come through in their excitement.

[@trustytrest]

I like the word "arena" here, like they choose a field of battle instead of a field of study.

[@loungedemon]

@@trustytrest That's academia for you.

[@peterpanda5069]

this interview with Jaega and Dr Janega nerding out over historical brewing is so freaking joyous

[@timothy4664]

I always love when Dr Janega presents. She has this look of mischief that I find approachable and engaging. That she never loses her presence as an authority or expert is always impressive.

[@dianesterns4961]

Completely agree!!! I find her so much fun as well as knowledgeable.

[@cleverusername9369]

You should check out her episode on the podcast "Well, There's Your Problem" which is generally about engineering disasters but her episode focused on medieval siege warfare, siege engines, and weaponry. She's an absolute riot. Very funny, knowledgeable, personable, laid-back, and witty with a bit of a sailor's mouth.

[@JJONNYREPP]

How Much Booze Did Medieval People Really Drink? 1606pm 25.6.24 i concur.... bad ale makers, if they were predominately women, which suggests the regal tenure was matriarchal in scope, needed to be pilloried as did their partners in crime... bad ale is unforgivable. bring in German purity laws for such matters. i have yet to find a decent beer. most folk dont know how to keep it....

[@mpersad]

The beer brewed by Jaega Wise, the head brewer at Wild Card, looked delicious and what an interesting interview. More please!

[@Paul_Halicki]

Yeah, I shared this video with my friends who own a craft brewery; I think they'll find it interesting.

[@goannaj3243]

I'll drink to that.

[@oahuhawaii2141]

Head brewer Ms. Jaega Wise gave a concise explanation of the processes and distinguishes between old and modern brews and techniques, even as host Dr. Eleanor Janega seemed to push to rush past those details. I've read about brewing various types of ales and beers before, and even watched a friend making his own home brews, including selecting the types of barley and hops. When Jaega brought up the points about how and why brewing in the past wasn't as controlled as well as now, I realize that she's a good communicator. She could write a book on brewing, and provide the in-depth info for making your own beer. The book will be a nice gift for the folks I know who've been experimenting with their own home brewing.

[@jackdarbyshire5888]

Very delicious 😋 and the beer 🍺 doesn't look too bad either❤💋

[@joannewainwright9127]

@@oahuhawaii2141 Jaega Wise has already written a book about beer. It's called Wild Brews.

[@keeperofgunsandfish]

Thank you for being an honest Medievalist! The Enlightenment has greatly distorted our views of the Classical and Medieval periods. Love from another Medievalist!

[@greghawkins59]

Love that a complex answer isn't always necessary, turns out we've just always loved bevvies

[@swcrossii]

So much respect for the brewer lady - so articulate, personable and knowledgeable!

[@PetrieRobert]

Captain Cook brewed ale on arrival in NZ in 1773 using local leaves, and the crew 'drank plentifully of it'. Learning about the use of local herbs in this excellent lesson gives context to this history.

[@grannyannie2948]

That's so interesting, I'm Australian and never knew that, thanks

[@p_campbell]

Who else is drinking while watching this video.? 🤠

[@nigden1]

Copiously.

[@ismarwinkelman5648]

I am drinking during all episodes of History Hit.

[@philhawley1219]

Cider made by my neighbours. I treat it with respect, it is quite strong.

[@p_campbell]

@@philhawley1219 great neighbor to have

[@Philbert-s2c]

Rum and coke....because why not?

[@TheJohnnyCalifornia]

With the passing of the late great Terry Jones, Dr Janega is really doing a great job on entertaining videos bringing the life and humor of the Middle Ages to life. The more I learn about the Medieval period, the more I feel we may still be in it.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

Who is Terry Jones?

[@TheJohnnyCalifornia]

@@Ang-iz5hv kzbin.info/aero/PL_13O8xhsOCZJBRSdvrqpstrLU7ofpZRC&si=7MQunvRnVF81x3Yi

[@mikec-1687]

Dr Eleanor Janega,what a supersuperstar! Thank you .

[@19maurice66]

Great stuff, you can't make enough content with this host. Also love the more everyday history, not just military history

[@dickdeoreo]

I’m not sure if I’m sold on this woman. Not sure what the hype is all about tbh

[@catherine_404]

Jaega is a great pleasure to listen to! Perfect combination of very clear and composed speech and being calming. She lulls me into attentiveness 😅

[@twincast2005]

You mentioned the Canterbury Tales. Could you please do a video on popular medieval literature and literacy? Clearly there are still people who need to hear about it.

[@megancrager4397]

You could make a video

[@anthonyjackson280]

Greetings from Canada. I once brewed a batch of beer bittered with fresh dandelion flowers. It had a lovely golden/straw colour and remarkably subtle flavour.

[@lostcat9lives322]

Raymond Bradbury "Dandelion Wine".

[@anthonyjackson280]

@@lostcat9lives322 no it was a beer(or ale I suppose), made with barley malt, yeast but with dandelion instead of hops.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

​@@lostcat9lives322love that book! I just discovered from my 90 yr old mom that it was very common to be made here in the US back when she was a child. She would see old men harvesting the dandelions growing wild in vacant lots.

[@santyclause8034]

Anyone got a report on Sage and other kitchen herb for the brew, or even Nasturtium leaves, and smokey barley malt ..how cool would that authentic touch be.

[@zeddeka]

Did it have the diuretic effect that dandelion is known for?

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

Interesting to hear about the two types of ale/beer, the first being the strong ale, and then the "drink and still work". Many years ago I heard that there were 3 brewings. Firstly there was the strong ale for recreation, then the ingredients would be reused to make 'table ale' for meal drinking, and then finally reused to make what was basically just flavoured water. Even though the detail is different (2 instead of 3) it's nice to have it confirmed that there were multiple brewings for different strengths.

[@grannyannie2948]

It was still brewed though. It was given to children.

[@stevoplex]

My favorite pub (although I'm American) is John Harvard's Brew Pub, near Harvard Square in Cambridge when I lived in Boston. They were renovating a small basement jazz bar and excavated a chest of documents belonging to John Harvard, a protege of William Shakespeare and founder of Harvard University. Among the documents there were a number of his favorite beer recipes. And they created a brew pub based on those recipes, with big copper vats (although later they moved the brewing off-site). I love the stained glass windows, which look, at first, like depictions of saints, but the faces were of John F. Kennedy, Jerry Garcia, Bobby Orr, Richard Nixon, Tip O'Neill, Grace Slick and others.

[@stevoplex]

I'm so disappointed to hear that they have recently closed down. 😭 I'm going to take some time to weep bitterly and rend my garments.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

​@@stevoplexthat's a shame.

[@hardingdies7811]

Great video! I'm a history buff (and degreed) and would love to spend time with Dr. Janega doing research - how much more could I learn!?! It's so wonderful to find out the actual history versus the common conjecture.

[@aaronjaben7913]

Great documentary! Loved hearing from the Head Brewer; she knows her stuff...and Dr Janega is the coolest!!

[@Wokerati]

i just love Dr Eleanor way of tell history , she makes it engaging and i don’t die of boredom like many historians bore on tv

[@edwardalexander9486]

Dr Janega is like JoolzGuides - so much personality, history enthusiasm - gratis on youtube. I've yet to find someone doing the same for Scotland - usually just a bunch of sincere but inchoerent old guys in their bedrooms; or mountaineers/hillwalkers (some of whom do very high quality content - just not enough background and all a bit dated).

[@marklammas2465]

@@edwardalexander9486 Try Bruce Fummey's channel about Scottish history. He's a talented comedian with a superb understanding of Scottish history. You get a story with some subtle humour in it. Guy with a brain and his head screwed on right. Search "Scottish History Tours" on the Tube.

[@thomasbell7033]

Oh how I love Doc Eleanor. We get not enough from her.

[@robertshorthill6836]

I worked with a German lady about my age. She talked about how in her native country, almost every town had a brewery. The beer differed from town to town, but was all of very good quality. Her telling of these facts was making me thirsty for a good brew. Thankfully we have decent German style beers in this country.

[@brianafortier]

Dr Eleanor Janega is the bomb diggity!! She needs one or two BBC series!!

[@Thunderpuddle]

This makes me even more sad that local pubs are closing. You used to be able to walk to a nearby pub and enjoy a swift half. All near me are a taxi journey away. I'm too tight to pay for that.

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

A local in Oxfordshire will drop off customers for free within a certain distance using the pubs minibus. Very good idea.

[@Thunderpuddle]

@@Surv1ve_Thrive Would be good if more did that.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

Yes, I hope conditions have improved now, a year on.

[@Combat.Wombat.official]

I make mead (and many other drinks). It was rare because of how expensive it would have been, and still it. It is one of the quickest brews to be 'able' to drink and get drunk, but one of the longest to become good. Also typically a more alcoholic drink than beer or wine, so would have sold to higher wealth people. Also mead kind of lasts forever in the right conditions. It's a real mix of values. Anyway, go buy 20 Liters or 4 gallons of honey in one go, that is real honey and not fake corn syrup from the local shops, and you will see why mead is such an expensive drink

[@BuenavistaNZ]

Buying some bee hives for that exact reason 👍

[@TheLiam14141]

I'm, for sure, gonna make that medieval beer with the herbs and what-not. That sounds like it would such an interesting experience.

[@andrewforrest862]

Wow! A really informative and entertaining vid. Thankyou. I was a keen home-brewer years back, brewing from malt/hops and live brewers yeast, I had 20x brown glass quart (English) bottles with Bakelite stoppers, and a dozen or so 'Flip-Top' bottles (Grolsch). Many a pleasant evening spent with a few friends. I did experiment with nettles instead of hops. It was ok, but didn't keep very well, so back to the Fuggles (hops). My first encounter with West Country cider was when hitch -hiking down to Stonehenge Festival with a mate. We found ourselves in deepest Somerset as evening fell and went into a small country pub for some vittels and refresment. My mate, who at 21 years considered himself a 'Man of the World' suggested we must drink cider. I was a fresh faced faced (long-haired) 18yo then and on asking for a pint was advised "OI think yew better troiy an aaarff furst sur' by the Lady of the House. Well 2 and an aaarff points lay-urr my mate and I floated out of that place and found a barn to sleep it off in. (you could do that in those days). Couple of years later and I was living in Bristol. There were a couple of 'cider houses'that I used to frequent;- no beer on tap just 'rough' or 'Farmhouse' cider. Not clear and fizzy, but cloudy and still, served with a slice of lemon. Very quiet places, the cider houses, never any rowdiness or trouble. Who needs Morphine when you have farmhouse cider? Rumour had it that some of the Old Boys (with their waxy complexion and bulbous noses) would get all of thier nutrition from cider.... Protein and minerals gained from the rats,who on trying to steal apples from the top of the brewing vat would fall in ,get drunk, and drown, only to dissolve. Sterilized I suppose by the alcohol. Myth ?- maybe. But there was such a thing as 'Cock Ale', whereby a boiled cockerel woul be put into the brew! From Wikepedia;-Take eight Gallons of Ale; take a Cock and boil him well; then take four pounds of Raisins of the Sun well stoned, two or three Nutmegs, three or four flakes of Mace, half a pound of Dates; beat these all in a Mortar, and put to them two quarts of the best Sack; and when the Ale hath done working, put these in, and stop it close six or seven days, and then bottle it, and a month after you may drink it

[@jaywalker3087]

My surname is Brewer , and I regularly make my own wine and beer. Thankyou for a very interesting video that has educated me a little more. Sitting here just now , I'm drinking a very nice Cider........

[@Alex-cw3rz]

A pub near me called ye olde man and scythe in Bolton was established in 1251 and an old tale goes the way they make their cider taste the way it does is because they have rats swimming in it. Being so old of course it has ghosts in particular is the Earl of Derby who was beh eaded for his actions in the Mass acre of Bolton during the English Civil War. His last night was at the pub and he has been seen walking around the pub and sitting in chairs. They do have a chair he sat on the day of the execution, the chair was then subsequently broken by accident by the band The Who when they came and played at the pub. Interestingly enough the executioners skull is on display for some reason in a different pub in the town.

[@anonUK]

The Who rarely broke anything by accident. Keith Moon, never!

[@guymorris6596]

Kind sir, I will pass on the cider and take a pint of that lovely mead.

[@JJONNYREPP]

How Much Booze Did Medieval People Really Drink? 1616pm 25.6.24 most European wars are based on battle of the brewers. denmark vs german for instance... ahahah.... pot washer = beer brewer = royalty...?

[@enoynaert]

One thing you left out was the use of ale and grain-based drinks as a form of nutrition and calories. I know that was extremely important in some parts of Africa where various ales and beers were consider dietary staples and provided a significant portion of a person's daily caloric intake. I assume something like this was also happening in Europe.

[@benscoles5085]

it was a great way to preserve the grains in an easy to consume no fuss day to day way

[@InspectahPatio]

As an alcoholic Brit, I certainly use strong German beer as a meal substitute!

[@nandeboleine]

I enjoy “drinking a load of bread” for dinner 😂

[@InspectahPatio]

@Lyndsey Woods Great cereal replacement too 👌

[@katherinetutschek4757]

I do recall reading/watching in a documentary somewhere that when diets in Europe for the average person weren't as plentiful or varied as they are today, alcohol did indeed provide some minerals/nutrients. I can't remember which type of alcohol they were talking about specifically.

[@paulm3033]

Loved this , I'm subscribing , watchable , interesting, informative, exciting and different.

[@TerriMRoberts]

I am really enjoying this series from Dr. Janega! Thank you so much for uploading!

[@infoscholar5221]

As a homebrewer, I found this fascinating. I am assembling the kit to make a Gruit, which is a pre-Hopster Medieval beer.

[@GTMarmot]

Wouldn't add rosemary, if I were you. Its flavour is nauseatingly overwhelming. Good luck with your project.

[@aimeeg4809]

@@GTMarmot Ooh useful tip. My husband is a homebrewer and I grow rosemary in my herb garden so we were just having a conversation about trying out a rosemary beer, but maybe we won't now!

[@Cricket2731]

@@aimeeg4809, my favorite bratwurst contains rosemary. It gives the wurst a liver-ish flavor. The sausages are a rather ghastly grey color, but they taste SOOOO good--especially when cooked in sauerkraut!

[@khaitomretro]

@@aimeeg4809 The "rosemary" used in gruits was Wild Rosemary - Rhododendron tomentosum, not the same plant commonly used in cooking.

[@michellebyrom6551]

@@aimeeg4809 try tasting rosemary flowers in spring. They have a cleansing taste/feel to them in the mouth. Possibly worth experimenting with those rather than leaves.

[@mattheweburns]

In North American public school we were always taught that they drink alcohol because water quality was too poor, but it’s not as much as beer more like a grog of two or 3%. That said children had to drink “water“ as well… Seems like a bleak existence or a big party which ever way you look at it! Thanks for the videos, cheers!!!!!

[@mrniceguystylehigh]

You were taught wrong lol. Only city people had to worry about their water on account of them constantly throwing their shite in it. Medieval people drank ale because it tasted good, preserved grain harvests, provided carbohydrates and b vitamins for field work, and was a mild mood lifter. Same reasons ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians did! Sedentary civilization was founded on ale and only 19th and 20th century Teetolaling WASP revisionists would tell you otherwise!

[@delia_watercolors]

Children drank ale with their parents. They drank very low alcoholic beers, once they were invented.

[@nox5555]

@@delia_watercolors they didnt drank so much ale...the go to kids drinks were milk and water mixed with fruit wines. kids always loved sweet drinks...

[@pauls3204]

That instance was during a cholera outbreak in London and a switched on Scottish engineer suspecting that the water wells folk were using had shit in them ? Ad he plotted all the cases or the disease and noted that the brewery employees didn’t fall I’ll? He then realised that they only drank ale/beef and had no exposure to the filthy drinking water .

[@grannyannie2948]

No it was in ancient Rome children drank wine with water. They had aqueducts and access to clean water. In England children drank weak ale. In the 1600s Pepys writes of drinking water three times. Twice he nearly died, and the third time he drank Epson water for constipation. Ale was also important for nutrition. In the 19th century teetotal farmers started giving agricultural workers tea instead of ale or beer and doctors saw it led to malnutrition in the workers.

[@WhiteThrash]

Hi, I’m brewing beer at home and the idea of adding herbs sounds fascinating to me. I have Nettle, Mugwort and Rosemary growing by my house. How much of them would you recommend to add in a typical 23 L batch of ale? Thinking of 1 pound of fresh herbs into a 45 pint bucket - does it sound about right, or it should be less / more?

[@WhiteThrash]

@@fibonacci211210 liter bag of fresh nettle (~1 kg) into 23 liter batch of rye ale. I gave nettle a quick rinse with boiling water to sanitize, then put it in a muslin bag and put in ~60’C water for some 20 minutes to extract the taste and then put both the water and the nettle in the bag to the wort. It went great, tastes a bit similar to RIS (but not that strong), however is turned out to be a slow drink.

[@ThunderStruck94660]

I just caught Dr. Janega today due to the algorithm. I really enjoy her presentation! Subscribed!

[@dj-kq4fz]

I'm late to the Dr. Janega party, but so glad I showed up! Great presenter!

[@JJONNYREPP]

How Much Booze Did Medieval People Really Drink? 1634pm 25.6.24 the reformation blue ALLEGEDLY brought us the allotment, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, the anti blood sports platform, freedom of mercantile practice - free from the overbearing heavies of centralized religious b.s.... fucking lags!!!..... anti semitism, scientism, scholarly debate, doubt, pessimism, plague (due to some irate roman catholic prelate throwing flea rats into the local town centre)............. and various choices relating to whoring and doing a bunk when the lags wanted you to take the rap for some insane bullshit as some heavy found you with his mate's wife one evening.... all good stuff. booze alleviates a lot of this crud. as you find it matters little. agreements were made, peoples' various cushy numbers saved form the upheaval etc etc... good luckm, though...... p.s the reformation allegedly brought us anti computer hacking laws...... we hope.

[@cyberiankorninger1025]

The thing about the hops and beer/ale difference is very unique to the British Isles. Hops was around in beers in "Germany" in proven sources from the 8th century onwards.

[@sklxx7359]

same with vodka in eastern europe - the first written account of the word appeared in 1405

[@jontyc3479]

Hops are divided into two main groups in Europe. The German/East European variety and the English variety. The German variety are a type of hops that has low levels of alpha acid and comes with high levels of the aromatic essential oil humulene. This makes them bitter and with a unique taste that is Germanic/East European beer and lager. English hops are more delicate and subtle. The cultivation of hops was probably introduced from Flanders to England in Kent at the end of the 15th century. They have been developed into a hop with low levels of myrcene, which gives them touches of earth, woods, herbs, among others that create in "real beer" the distinctive English flavour unique to our now very extensive range of boutique beers. I have never forgotten as a boy over 70 years ago our annual outing from London to Kent known as the "garden of England" to pick the hops each late summer, we worked hard but loved every minute picking and mainly playing in the Hop fields living in tents cooking on open fires with the fresh air and sun such a contrast to smog riddled inner semi-destroyed London we were used to just after the war. Great times and memories

[@cyberiankorninger1025]

@@jontyc3479 Thanks for all the details and "Prost, Skal, Cheers" as I always like to say when I am on vacation in other countries

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

Hops were.

[@cyberiankorninger1025]

@@geoffreycodnett6570 Thanks for correcting me. I am German and always trying to improve my English.

[@jimmye15]

This is such great content, ah! Thank you to all involved in filming and producing this!

[@thoutube9522]

Absolute genius. Thank you so much Dr Eleanor for such a very entertaining and informative video. Keep them coming!

[@bill-wd7zs]

Dropped on this vid by accident, what a gem!

[@hokehinson5987]

Great video!! With over a decade of home brewing plus even more of vinting mead & wine, must say it was an extremely enjoyable experience, though never tried ancient ales using herbs. On Reflection it would've been an enjoyable experience but the cost of oak cask, and short shelf life & a raised degree of producing a totally un- drinkable product kept the journey focused on traditional ales using hops. Cheers 🍺

[@eifnhoj345]

Try making wine expert wines lovely 😅

[@johnfrench9608]

The lady from the East end brewery has an incredible k owledge of the history of brewing "respect".

[@ryanh2479]

She's my dream woman

[@GTMarmot]

A definite expert - you can tell by the way she kept her terminology simple. I was, of course, only paying attention to her terminology. lol

[@ontapchannel]

Great episode! Fantastic work by Dr. Janega as always! Can't wait for the next episode.

[@phillawrence5148]

I don't think Ive ever learnt as much from a single documentary and Im an Englishman that loves the pub 🍻❤

[@StanleyWareham]

I like Eleanor, she is a joy to listen to, obviously well studied historian and looks at the every day history, comes over as a fun person who loves her subject sh has joined ned the ranks of my favourite historian👍❤️

[@birdbrainiac]

It sounds a lot like beer, ale or wine is the medieval version of coffee or tea. It's just everywhere and is present at every meal.

[@matthewtrow5698]

I like the way Dr Elenor has possibly picked up the "yeah yeah yeah yeah" UK thing. Maybe they do that in the US too? For me, that is such a British thing. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah" - "She loves you, yeah yeah yeah" - LOL. It's like the way you are saying to someone you are chatting with "I get that".

[@FalseNomen]

She also pronounces the 'h' in herbs, which is not the US pronunciation.

[@LumiSisuSusi]

In Finnish they have "yeah, yeah..." too, but there's a few ways to say it. I often hear " niin, niin", "no niin" "Niin no joo" and "niin, joo" I'm sure s native speaker can chime in an correct me if they see this. I could just ask my partner but they are busy doing so work stuff ATM.

[@wingedhussar2909]

Yes, it's the same in the US.

[@matthewtrow5698]

@@wingedhussar2909 I guess it's now international - I don't remember this ever from when I was a child. Nobody said it. The first time I heard it, was returning to the UK in 2005 after 20 years away - everyone was saying "yeah yeah yeah" 😄

[@speak_your_truth.]

It was really grating on me. Overdone.

[@timhicks2154]

I have been making my own beer since 1978…and have no intention of stopping. Currently it costs between 20p and 35p a pint, depending on the cost of the ingredients

[@michellebyrom6551]

Even in these inflationary times? Well worth the investment in basic equipment and patience.

[@MolloyPolloy]

Really?.....

[@timhicks2154]

@@MolloyPolloy - really. Prices up of late so may now be 45p to 50p a pint

[@jefflatham3247]

Very interesting , I could speak with the Dr. all day and appreciate Her intellect and obvious talent and ability....

[@johnlord8337]

One of the first brew pubs happened in the earliest of 1500s (in the royal shire of HERTS) ... and some of my ancestral relatives were brewers and vintners in HERTS and London.

[@gregsarnecki7581]

Great videos! Please consider doing a special just on Archbishop of York, George Neville's enthronement party at Cawood in 1465. The food and drink quantities are truly staggering!

[@BartolomeoIrnerio]

What a great episode with great converations. Thanks for the good storytelling and that the episode is historically accurate. I will keep a lookout for a copy of the Canterbury Tales, by the way.

[@grannyannie2948]

It would be online. I can sight read renaissance/early modern writing, however Chaucer in its original, I need to read out loud, which is annoying. It certainly shows feminists are wrong when they talk about women having no rights. Enjoy!

[@therapymutt1468]

Can we just periodically get a 4 hour video of Dr Janega talking about literally anything?

[@baldalicious]

I'm becoming a big fan of Dr. Janega. Were I still in college, I would have loved taking any course she offered.

[@cassandrabuitron427]

Janega is awesome!! She is so knowledgeable and approachable in the way she explains things. Love to see it. Would love to try her beer.

[@Pandenhir]

She's just my most liked historian right after Toby Capwell. Her method of presenting and talking is just so free and seems in no way scripted. She's so likeable and beautiful on top of that! Love her podcasts as well. We need more of her kind to keep history interesting and entertaining for following generations.

[@grannyannie2948]

She actually annoys me, she makes many little mistakes. Like referring to drinking the strongest ale at dinner, when dinner was eaten at 9-11 am?? Strong ale would be drank later in the day especially working people.

[@Pandenhir]

@@grannyannie2948 We're all humans aren't we? But I've found that also a bit weird but maybe she's just not used to "strong" ale. I also have no clue what was considered strong in that time.

[@grannyannie2948]

@@Pandenhir That's an excellent point, though I have seen documentaries where they recreate how farms worked in various eras and I know they made ale.

[@deejayimm]

If you woke up in medieval times tomorrow, you'd become a heavy drinker too....

[@daveroberts1]

The first reference to a standard amount for ale, in Magna Carta, was mentioned. The programme then alluded to the modern pint. In fact the original "pint" was 16 fluid ounces, as in 16oz to the pound, not the modern day 20 fl ozs. That became established, I believe, at the start of the 19th century and it could be argued that is why British beers tended towards a strength of 4% alcohol whilst continental beers tended towards 5%, half a litre being 16.9 fl ozs. The brewers of the UK became wealthier by selling more water to their customers under the guise of it being beer!

[@RobBCactive]

That would be consistent with the US pint being on the short side

[@daveroberts1]

@@RobBCactive Correct. I believe the UK introduced the 20oz pint in the "Weights and Measures Act" of 1824. The USA had shaken of the shackles of British rule some years before so retained the real pint, 16oz. It always amused me that some Brits fought to "save the pint" when there was a vague suggestion that we should "go metric". Ironically half a litre is closer to the real pint that the "new" pint. As a further thought that campaign helped destroy the English glass making industry. English traditionalists now drink their beer out of glasses from abroad, often Turkey.

[@RobBCactive]

@@daveroberts1 in Switzerland good bottled beer was sold in the metric measure of 58cl. Which was a nicely satisfying amount. 😁

[@daveroberts1]

@@RobBCactive Curious...that is almost exactly 20fl oz...the current English pint. And, I would guess beer at 5%....no wonder it's satisfying! But I would hardly describe 58 as "metric"! 50 or a 100, yes, but 58? Is Switzerland, not being in the EU, a British colony...lol! You said "was sold"...has it changed?

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

A pint in the UK is 568ml. You’re American and so your pint is incorrect and smaller.

[@Packyboy]

professor letting it all hang out again ,how lovely.. thank you Professor .

[@Sal-fn1pm]

This is a very fine and rare production! Treating the question of alcohol without either moralisms or romanticisms.

[@HughONeill]

Drunk by Edward Slingerland (10000 years of drinking) is a good follow on from this, he goes into the economics and social aspects of controlling drinking.

[@Ang-iz5hv]

Is that a book, or TV series?

[@HughONeill]

@@Ang-iz5hv Book, think I'll give it a re-read now

[@wesadams5128]

I don't feel bad about drinking all the time anymore:D

[@SarahGreen523]

Mugwort will add a smokey flavor or aroma to anything you put it in. Mugwort will also give you some crazy dreams.

[@Kamila_Koziol]

I love dr Janega. I'm glad it's a series.

[@tinysmallfryskitchen8610]

This is Brilliant, during lockdown I started home brewing again, but rather than kits I was using teabags, Earl grey and lady grey tea were my favourites, but my wife liked the fruit tea wines I made.

[@jounikorhonen9441]

Yes, people tend to favor alcoholic drinks if their drinking water is floating with dead rats. People didn't start boiling their drinking water at large until tea and coffee established themselves. No wonder those were concidered healthy. I had a grandmother that never drank water, just beer. Sometime during war she was somewhere where the water had gone bad, and she learned to drink beer and never looked back. Lived to 96 years old.

[@nornje]

What a wonderful lady!

[@silverkitty2503]

it would have had a low alcohol content tho it wouldnt be like todays beer

[@nornje]

@@silverkitty2503 There is such a beer quality in Sweden with about 2% alcohol. Great stuff. Still the lady is adorable.

[@asor8037]

So if I do the same, will you guarantee I will live to 96 too?

[@jounikorhonen9441]

@@asor8037 No. someone said regarding Mr. Lemmy Kilmister: "Some people have the stamina for self-abuse, most don't"

[@aricliljegren890]

I loved this addition to the series, though I nearly spit out my beer when (in or around the 17 minute mark) you referred to 3-5% alcohol content as "pretty high." The average modern beer is around 5% ABV (and an average modern wine is 11-13%), so their ale was, if anything, somewhat weaker than the common table beer we drink today. Perhaps the idea that the ABV of ale was relatively low during that period is another reason they drank so much - it took more to get their buzz on ;) Anyway, thanks again for producing this series - it's always entertaining.

[@jennybennyglitter]

I think she meant high for a drink you would have all day while trying to also get work done. Most people only drink after their work day is done nowadays

[@JJONNYREPP]

Puking and farting... Hardly earth shattering.......

[@R_Foulkes]

This is awesome, thank you so much for making this video. I do wonder though, with the prevalence of alcohol consumption in the mediaeval period, how frequent where instances of FASD amongst the population? Would women drink during pregnancy or did they know to reduce their consumption?

[@michaelreid2329]

Might explain the madness and lack of empathy especially amongst the wealthier classes.

[@jamespardue3055]

Wild Card is a stellar name for a brewery. Thanks for the history lesson too!

[@hereigoagain5050]

Kudos for using wine glass rings to indicate wine drinking areas on the map at 1:40. Many nice touches throughout the video.

[@julias-shed]

Really enjoyed this one, the Brewster was brilliant too. 😀

[@shaneintheuk2026]

I’d be interested to hear how much we know about booze in the Anglo-Saxon/Danelaw period. Was it similar or were ale houses and taverns later? Did they have inns or was it all hospitality of the lord of the land you were passing through?

[@dazedconfused2146]

I can't remember my sources, but from what I remember it would have been similar to the alehouses described in this video. In this period it would have been purely domestic, with women brewing beer for their household. After brewing a batch of ale, families often hung a large branch (something used in the brewing process) outside their home to signal to fellow villagers they had fresh ale available to come and drink.

[@thelostone6981]

@@dazedconfused2146 I do believe Time Team talked about the “dark ages” (Anglo-Saxon era) and how it was a good old time. The climate was good for growing (for the most part) and ale/brewing was a staple.

[@sarahwatts7152]

That leopard coat is quickly becoming iconic. Great episode!

[@jontalbot1]

Quality was maintained by Ale Tasters. I was in a Suffolk church recently where the wall painting of hell includes a lifelike portrait of a Brewster who was guilty of watering down her ale. Quite right too in my book

[@masjh5262]

It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit to forgive them for having witnessed your own.

[@hanshawks5088]

😭😭😭

[@junker1192]

I didnt know David Bowie was also a medieval historian. Truly a man of many talents!

[@luannnelson2825]

That snow-leopard coat just screams “let’s have fun with history.”

[@guymorris6596]

It's long enough she can wear it like a dress.