People are traveling to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday this year. You might want to add a stop in New York, because the New York Public Library is offering something unique- beer brewed from George Washington's personal recipe. It was found in a journal Washington kept in 1757 while he led a Virginia militia during the Seven Years War. Notes from the 25-year-old Colonel instruct the brewer to use 30 gallons of boiled barley hops, three gallons of molasses, and a quart of yeast.
This was a "small beer," not very alcoholic, but it was safer to drink than water for a traveling militia. The library partnered with a local brewer named TALEA Beer Co. to produce it. They toned down the molasses flavor somewhat and boosted the alcohol content to 6.5% to make the recipe palatable to modern consumers. They call it Liberty Lager. It will be available this summer at TALEA taprooms and New York restaurants. If you want to try making your own, the recipe is at Smithsonian.
See also: George Washington's Whiskey: Not the Best.
(Image credit: New York Public Library)
Commenting on Neatorama will earn you NeatoPoints!