Upon arrival at the Irish farm in Kilgarvan, a bottle of homemade bog myrtle beer was waiting in the kitchen, as a welcoming gift.
Apparently, bog myrtle leaves were used to flavor beer before hops became popular in Britain, and they are still used as a flavoring agent in Swedish spirits. (Bog myrtle leaves pictured above, courtesy of tigerlillith.)
For those with access to bog myrtle leaves, the recipe:
- a big handful of bog myrtle leaves
- 1 gallon of boiling water
- 1 lb sugar
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 oz yeast or 1 tablespoon dried yeast
Put leaves, sugar, and lemon in bowl. Pour on boiling water. Allow to cool. When tepid, float a piece of toast on the surface and sprinkle yeast on the toast. Leave for 24 hours. Remove the toast and strain liquid into bottles. You can keep the beer for a while or drink at once. Watch out for popping corks if you bottle immediately.
Alternatively strain into a fermentation jar and fit fermentation lock. Leave for about a month or until fermentation ceases.
If you prefer a sweeter drink, make a syrup with equal volumes of water and sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves then cool before adding to beer. If you like a spicy beer, add a teaspoonful of ground ginger to the syrup while heating.
You can also make a double quantity of the beer in a plastic bucket. Double the sugar and water in this case, but no the lemon, nor yeast.
Irish Coffee
Also, I got my hands on the real-deal recipe for Irish coffee, as follows:
- 1 very generous measure of Irish Whisky
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 heaped dessert spoon of whipped cream
- hot, strong coffee
Pre-warm a stemmed glass. Add the whisky. Add the sugar and stir in the coffee. Float the whipped cream on top. Allow the cream to sit, do not stir!
About Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman is a full-time assistant professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati, and the former publisher of Writer's Digest. She has spoken on writing, publishing, and the future of media at more than 200 events since 2001, including South by Southwest, BookExpo America, and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.
