J. A. Young

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“Absinthe is the aphrodisiac of the self. The green fairy who lives in the absinthe wants your soul. But you are safe with me.” --Coppola’s Dracula to Mina, from Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Was there ever a more historically controversial potion than absinthe? The history of this drink is ancient a

People’s need or desire for various intoxicating drinks may have been one of the first civilizing influences on mankind. Some historians have argued that when hunter/gatherers first abandoned their old vocation in order to till the land, the bulk of the grains that they grew were used not for fo

Allison Whitehead

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The home of a home brew enthusiast is not an ordinary one. It is a journey into a hobby which has a tendency to take over the whole house. If you use the bathroom and find the bath full of demi-johns – the ‘wine to be’ fermenting away inside – you know you’re in the home of a serio

What is Mead? Basically, Mead is wine made from honey. Mead is a great first project for a novice wine-maker because it is made from only a few ingredients and the process is simple.

For a very basic Mead recipe, only honey, water and yeast are needed. This mixture, called ‘Must’, is ferment

Many people assume that making wine is something only big wineries, with big budgets, can do, but in fact it is possible to make some great wine with only a few simple ingredients and some basic know how. The level of interest in the wine making hobby has been growing in recent years, and t

For a number of years now there has been growing interest in the hobby of making beer and wine at home, and it seems like more and more people are getting involved in this interesting pastime. There are many reasons for this sudden interest in home brewing, but some of the interest no doubt li

Brewing your own beer at home can be lots of fun, and the results can be quite delicious for all involved. Many people think that brewing beer is a complicated process, but in fact the process is quite simple. There are of course a number of complicated flavors and brewing techniques experts c

Some people may believe that homemade wine isn’t worth the trouble to make it. However, if you follow the steps to making homemade wine carefully, it is well worth the effort. If you are going to make the effort to create your own special brand of tastefully delicious wine, then take the time

Making your own alcoholic beverages like beer and wine is very popular, but did you know that you can make your own hard cider beverages at home as well? The process is similar to wine-making, in that the apples are fermented for the cider just as the grapes are for wine.

The key to successf

Close your eyes and imagine the delicious flavor of a homemade wine slipping tantalizingly over your tongue as you enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you want to get to this point in your wine making, then you need to follow a few simple steps to guarantee that your wine is not reminiscent

Brewery workers in the latter half of the 1800s were largely men with only a scattering of women and children. In fact, many of the men were of German ancestry.

Employment in the brewery industry was demanding, as the days were long, typically 14 hours or more. The workers often started as ear

If you want to give your guests something out of the ordinary, why not make your own liquor? These delicious recipes can be brought out at celebrations and dinner parties to give your entertaining a memorable twist.

Atholl Brose

Traditionally served at celebrations in Scotland, Atholl Brose is