Spruce beer 1110072 215209526 2008-05-27T05:07:38Z Formerly the IP-Address 24.22.227.53 4279474 {{reflist}} - see [[Wikipedia:Deletion review#Template:FootnotesSmall]] [[Image:Picea_koraiensis_young.JPG|right|thumb|spring growth on a spruce tree]] '''Spruce beer''' is a [[beverage]] flavored with the [[bud]]s, needles, or essence of [[spruce]] [[tree]]s. Spruce has been a traditional flavoring ingredient throughout the upper latitudes of the [[Northern Hemisphere]] where it is found, often substituting for ingredients otherwise not available, such as [[hops]]. ''Spruce beer'' can refer to either [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]ic or non-alcoholic beverages. A number of flavors are associated with spruce-flavored beverages, ranging from [[flower|floral]], [[citrus]]y, and [[fruit]]y to [[cola]]-like flavors to [[resin]]ous and [[pine]]y. This diversity in flavor likely comes from the choice of spruce species, the season in which the needles are harvested, and the manner of preparation. The fresh shoots of many spruces and [[pine]]s are a natural source of [[vitamin C]].<ref>[http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/sitkaspruce.htm Tree Book - Sitka spruce] Accessed 07/29/2006</ref> [[Captain Cook]] had both malt and sugar-based spruce beer made during his sea voyages in order to prevent [[scurvy]] in his crew<ref>Stubbs, B.J., [http://www.healthyeatingclub.com/APJCN/volume12/vol12.2/fullArticles/Stubbs129.pdf "Captain Cook's beer: the antiscorbutic use of malt and beer in late 18th century sea voyages"], Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003, v. 12, p. 129-137.</ref>. ==Types== ===Malt beverages=== Spruce may be used to flavor traditional [[beer]] made from [[malt]]ed [[barley]] and water [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] with [[yeast]]. This flavoring can be added with spruce essence or by including spruce twigs or needles with the [[wort]] during the boiling stage of [[brewing]], either in addition to or as a substitute for [[hops]]. See also [[gruit]] and [[sahti]]. ===Fermented sugar beverages=== [[alcoholic beverage|Alcoholic]] spruce beer may also be made from sugar and flavoring from the [[spruce]] tree. Leaves, small branches, or extracted essence of spruce are boiled with [[sugar]] and [[fermentation (food)|fermented]] with [[yeast]]. Two different sources of sugar may be used, either [[molasses]] or white refined sugar. Some consider the latter to be better, but other aficionados prefer the complexity that molasses gives to the former. ===Soft drink=== In the [[Canadian]] province of [[Quebec]], where it is known in French as ''bière d'épinette'', spruce beer may refer to either an artificially flavored non-alcoholic carbonated [[soft drink]], or to genuine spruce beer. ==Regional varieties== ===Europe=== [[Norway Spruce]] is used for making spruce beer widely in northern Europe <ref>Dallimore, W. D., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). ''A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae''. Edward Arnold, London.</ref>. In [[Scandinavia]] it is used to flavor fermented [[ale]]s in the absence of hops. ===North America=== Alcoholic spruce beer was common in the [[Thirteen Colonies|colonial United States]] {{Fact|date=February 2007}}, and eastern [[Canada]]. An American recipe<ref>Simmons, Amelia (1796). [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12815 ''American Cookery''], Hudson & Goodwin, Hartford, Connecticut. (reproduced by [[Project Gutenberg]])</ref> from [[1796]] states: <blockquote>Take four ounces of [[hops]], let them boil half an hour in one gallon of water, strain the hop water then add sixteen gallons of warm water, two gallons of [[molasses]], eight ounces of essence of spruce, dissolved in one quart of water, put it in a clean cask, then shake it well together, add half a pint of [[brewer's yeast|emptins]], then let it stand and work one week, if very warm weather less time will do, when it is drawn off to bottle, add one spoonful of molasses to every bottle.</blockquote> Today [[Sitka Spruce|Sitka spruce]], native to the [[Pacific Northwest|northwest]] coast of [[North America]], tends to be favored, although other species of spruce have also been used. Lighter, more citrus-like flavors are produced by using the bright green fresh [[spring (season)|spring]] growth before the new needles and twigs harden and become woody. Sitka spruce trees on the north-central [[Oregon Coast]] develop spring growth in early to mid May. ==Commercial examples== * [http://www.breuvagesmarco.com/ Marco Beverages] (Canada) * Spruce Ale, [[Siletz Brewing Company]], [[Siletz, Oregon]] * Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce, [[Yards Brewing Company]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] * '''Spruce Beer''', is a [[New Zealand]] [[beer]] based on [[James Cook|Captain Cook]]'s original recipe and was first made in [[Dusky Sound]], [[New Zealand]], [[1773]]. It is flavored with 'spruce' ([[Dacrydium cupressinum|rimu]]) and tea tree. Spruce Beer is brewed for Heritage Foods (NZ) Ltd. by [[Wigram Beer|Wigram]] Brewing Co. in [[Christchurch]].[[Spruce Beer]] (flavored with the [[Dacrydium cupressinum|rimu]] tree rather than true spruce). * Alba Scots Pine Ale. Uses Malted Barley Bree, Scots Pine and Spruce Sprigs. Alba is a "triple" style ale. Brewed and bottled by Heather Ale Ltd. Williams Bros Brewing Co. Alloa. FK10 1NT Scotland UK. [http://www.heatherale.co.uk/ www.heatherale.co.uk]. ==References== <!--<nowiki> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below </nowiki>--> {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.agingincanada.ca/TRIVIA.HTM spruce beer history] [[Category:Soft drinks]] [[Category:Soft beers and malt drinks]] [[Category:Types of beer]] [[Category:Quebecois cuisine]]