Continuing the evergreen theme, the October Beverage of the Month highlights a traditional Scandinavian brew called Sahti - a Finnish Juniper Ale documented by THL Madoc Arundel, a founding member of the Brewers Guild.
The following excerpts from his documentation highlights only a few notes about Finnish Juniper Ale. Read the entirety for a full appreciation of this beverage of the month. Master Arundel also describes aspects of brewing and brewing history pertinent to almost any style of beer, and is well-worth your time.
A brief overview of Finnish Juniper Ale
Evergreen ales may have been a staple in Scandinavia dating to ancient times. There is a reference to the use of the new shoots from the ends of evergreen branches in the production of wedding beer in the ancient saga Kalevala, book XX. The folklore contained therein is referenced by Tacitus in the second century, although a collective account of the poem translated into English is only available to us from the 19th century. Juniper is reputed to have some antiseptic qualities, and in fact the juniper berries are used to produce gin – a restorative tonic dating to the early 16th century.
Juniper is the most important brewing herb in the Nordic and Baltic farmhouse ales. Traditionally the juniper flavor comes from the branches laid on the bottom of the lauter tun filter or from juniper infusion (branches infused in hot water). The taste of branches is needle-like and woody, somewhat different than flavor of berries. Hops are used fairly often, but usually in minor quantities. Sahti is often unhopped.
Sahti itself dates at least to the 8th century, and uses juniper in two forms. The wort is cooked with juniper berries or sections of juniper twigs. The wort is then filtered through a mesh made up of juniper twigs. The beer thus enjoys both the cooked and the uncooked adjuncts of juniper to affect the finished flavor.
Read the full documentation here, which includes a full list of references for you to pursue your own historical brewing journey.