Sneak

Peek!
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 WINTER IN THE FOREST BEER

This recipe is ever-changing with the seasons, but it’s a good example of a
winter forest beer. It looks very much as if I just took leaves, twigs, and herbs
directly from the forest floor itself, but every ingredient, even fall leaves, was
carefully chosen and contributes to the flavor profile. My first attempts at
creating such beers were a bit so-so but they have vastly improved over time.
Presently, the end result is somewhere between a beer and a cider—a bit
sour, like some wild-yeast-fermented Belgium beers, but delicious. I don’t
think you could match this recipe with your own local forest, but maybe
this will inspire you to experiment with what your wild terroir has to offer.

1 gallon water (3.78 L) Procedure

0.2 ounce (around 3 g) mixed fall leaves
(cottonwood, alder, and willow)
0.2 ounce (around 3 g) forest grass—regular
grass growing in the forest
2 lemons
1 ounce (28 g) manzanita berries
0.1 ounce (1.5 g) California sagebrush
0.2 ounce (around 3 g) dried mugwort leaves
0.3 ounce (around 8.5 g) turkey tail
mushrooms
11⁄4 pounds (567 g) dark brown sugar
3 large lemons
Commercial beer yeast or wild yeast starter
Combine all the ingredients except the lemons and
yeast. Cut and squeeze the lemons into the solution.
Bring to a boil in a large pot for 30 minutes. Remove
from the heat and cool to 70°F (21°C), then add the
yeast. When I’m using a wild yeast starter, I usually use
1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup (120–180 ml) of liquid.
Strain into the fermenter. Place the airlock and let it
ferment for 10 days. Start counting when the fermen-
tation is active (this may take 2 to 3 days with a wild
yeast starter).
Siphon into 16-ounce (473 ml) swing-top beer bot-
tles (you’ll need seven bottles) and prime each one with
1⁄2 teaspoon (2 g) white or brown sugar for carbonation.
Close the bottles and store in a place that’s not too hot.
The beer will be ready to drink in 3 to 4 weeks.
Would you like to explore the smell of the forest
after the rain, or the sweet fragrance of its rich soil?
Maybe add a small amount of candy cap mushroom or
bitter decomposing leaves (willow, alder). I like using
turkey tail mushrooms, not just for their bitter flavors
but also for their medicinal qualities.

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Sugar, Molasses, and Syrup-Based Beers 151

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224 The Wildcrafting Brewer

 N O R T H E A S T E R N K VA S S

This recipe is based on the forest I like to hike in Vermont. It’s a mix of pine
and root flavors, a bit like a kvass root beer. It’s quite enjoyable and nutri-
tious. The method is a bit different, as the pine branches and spruce are not
boiled. Of course, maple syrup is the source of sugar for this fermentation,
and the wild yeast is from a dandelion flower starter.

1⁄2–1 pound (227–454 g) of rye Procedure

(or other) bread
1 gallon (3.78 L) water
1–11⁄2 cups (355 ml) maple syrup
2 tablespoons (10 g) sassafras root bark
1 tablespoon (5 g) sarsaparilla roots (optional)
1 tablespoon (5 g) chopped dandelion roots
1⁄2 teaspoon (1 g) dried wintergreen leaves
Handful of turkey tail mushrooms
(just because I like them and they’re
good for you)
Small piece (3⁄4–1 inch/2 cm) ginger (optional)
A couple of small spruce or white pine
branches, or any lemony-tasting pine
needles (you can also use a couple of
lemons if you want; juice them and then
throw them in the pot)
1⁄2–3⁄4 cup (120–180 ml) wild yeast or com-
mercial beer yeast
Use a similar brewing method as Traditional Kvass. The
main differences are that you can place the turkey tail
mushrooms in the water from the start (at the same
time as the sugar) so they boil longer than the other
ingredients. The spruce or white pine branches are
added when the liquid is cooled down and the yeast
goes in. It’s a personal choice, but I don’t like the flavor
of boiled spruce/fir/pine. Don’t forget to cut the top of
the needles so the flavors can be extracted.
Because I use lots of barks, dried leaves, and roots in
this recipe, I don’t place the pot in cold water but simply
set it outside. The warm water cools slowly, and I extract
more flavors that way.

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Ethnic Drinks and Medicinal Brews 225

 “Pascal Baudar’s methods, ideas, and aesthetics
. . . are truly inspirational.”
— S A N D O R K A T Z , New York Times bestselling
author of The Art of Fermentation

T
he art of brewing doesn’t stop at the usual ingredients:
barley, hops, yeast, and water. In fact, the origins of brew-
ing involve a galaxy of wild and cultivated plants, fruits,
berries, and other natural materials, which were once used to make
a whole spectrum of creative fermented drinks.
Now fermentation fans and home brewers can rediscover these
“primitive” drinks and their unique flavors in The Wildcrafting
Brewer. Wild-plant expert and forager Pascal Baudar—named one of
the 25 most influential tastemakers by Los Angeles Magazine—opened
up a new world of possibilities for readers wishing to explore the
flavors of their local terroir in his acclaimed first book, The New
Wildcrafted Cuisine. Now he is doing the same for fermented
drinks in The Wildcrafting Brewer. Baudar reveals both the under-
lying philosophy and the practical techniques for making your own
delicious concoctions, from simple wild sodas, to non-grape-based
“country wines,” to primitive herbal beers, meads, and traditional
ethnic ferments such as tiswin and kvass.
The book opens with a retrospective of plant-based brewing
and ancient beers. The author then goes on to describe both hot-
and cold-brewing methods and provides lots of interesting recipes;
mugwort beer, horehound beer, and manzanita cider are just a few
of the many drinks represented. Baudar is quick to point out that
these recipes serve mainly as a touchstone for readers, who can
then use the information and techniques he provides to create their
own brews, using their own local ingredients.
The Wildcrafting Brewer will attract natural foodies, foragers,
herbalists, and chefs alike with the author’s playful and relaxed
philosophy. Readers will find themselves surprised by how easy
making your own natural drinks can be, and will be inspired by the
abundance of nature all around them.

P U B L I CAT ION DAT E : March 1, 2018 Chelsea Green Publishing

Contact: Christina Butt
cbutt@chelseagreen.com
(802) 295-6300 ×127
$29.95 USD • 978-1-60358-718-1
Paperback Original • 7 × 10 • 304 pages
Full-color photographs throughout
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
(802) 295-6300
www.chelseagreen.com
Cover design by Melissa Jacobson
Cover photography by Pascal Baudar