Did Harry Potter Drink the Same Beer as Our Ancestors?
In an interview with Silnye Novosti, I explain how my interest in homebrewing led me to explore the history of Belarusian beer and reconstruct traditional brewing recipes.
We discuss my research into historical sources, the reconstruction of Oboznoye and spruce beer, the search for local brewing yeast, and my work on the traditional Samokhodskoye beer recipe.
A separate part of the interview explores the similarities I identified between historical English butterbeer, familiar from the Harry Potter books, and the Belarusian beer-based dish known as hramatka. We also discuss the future of Belarusian brewing, the idea of establishing a beer museum in Gomel, and the practical aspects of homebrewing. The original article concludes with a simplified beer recipe for beginners.
For many people, beer is simply an alcoholic beverage whose excessive consumption can be harmful to health. But for more discerning enthusiasts, beer is a hobby, a tradition, a science, and, in some ways, even an art form.
This is the story of a man from Gomel who, while searching for a new hobby, decided to brew his own beer. What began as an experiment soon developed into a passion for reconstructing historical brewing recipes. Did Harry Potter drink almost the same kind of beer as our ancestors? Which beverage should definitely be included in the collection of a future beer museum in Gomel, should one ever be established? And as a bonus, here is a recipe for making beer at home. Spoiler: you will need time and patience. We explore the creative process of brewing through the experiences of a homebrewer from Gomel.
How Did It All Begin?
Meet Stanislav, a successful IT professional. His career is both prestigious and well-paid, but something was missing — something for the soul, as the saying goes. Four years ago, he and a friend began talking about high-quality, sophisticated beers that could not be found on the shelves of ordinary shops. That was when Stanislav came up with the idea of brewing his own beer. After all, as the saying goes, if you want something done well, do it yourself.
While searching for the right recipe, Stanislav watched YouTube videos, read articles and publications, and gathered information piece by piece. He dedicated his first beer to his grandfathers and named it "Dziady" ("Forefathers"). They enjoyed the beer with Mir Castle as a backdrop, and it received excellent reviews. Stanislav became increasingly fascinated by the process, gained experience, improved his skills, and eventually decided to take his hobby further.
"After brewing yet another beer, I asked myself: do we have a beer of our own, a Belarusian beer? I started looking for information in various places, mainly in archives. I had to read and translate a great deal, and I still do. Processing the information takes even more time. The sources are usually written in Old Polish, Latin, Old Russian, and Old Belarusian. Scientists help me with this work. I have friends at the Academy of Sciences, including archaeologists. I often accompany them on expeditions as a volunteer, meet other researchers, and explain that we need to 'save' the history of Belarusian beer. Everyone likes this goal, and people are happy to help me find, process, study, and apply the information," says the Gomel resident.
At the time of the interview, Stanislav had discovered and reconstructed several beer recipes dating back to the 17th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. These included "Oboznoye" (Camp Beer) and "Yelovoye" (Spruce Beer), which, according to the account, our ancestors primarily drank during military campaigns. Ordinary water stored in barrels could spoil, while drinking from rivers and lakes was not always safe. Beer was therefore considered an attractive alternative. It was also nutritious and helped restore energy.
"Before setting off on a campaign, people baked special dried bread pieces called 'soladushki' and took them along. During stops, these dried pieces were soaked and used to brew beer. 'Spruce Beer' was made using a decoction of spruce branches to enrich the beer with vitamin C and help combat scurvy during long campaigns. Right now, I am finishing work on the reconstruction of 'Samokhodskoye' beer and also searching for our local yeast strains. The problem is that we have Belarusian hops and malt, but no Belarusian brewing yeast. I collected wild yeast from hops growing in the Shvedskaya Gorka neighbourhood near the Sozh River. I am now working with these yeasts, trying to isolate a pure and pleasant-tasting colony using selective culture media," Stanislav explains.
What Kind of Beer Did Harry Potter Drink?
At first glance, what could Harry Potter possibly have in common with Belarusian beer? As it turns out, the connection may be much closer than one might expect. Here is what our interviewee has to say.
"Some time ago, I set myself the goal of finding that famous 'Butterbeer' from Harry Potter. During my research, I discovered a recipe for a drink that actually existed in England during the Tudor period. Since it makes a good alternative to mulled wine, I often prepared it for friends and acquaintances. Later, when I began studying the history of Belarusian beer, I came across our traditional beer-based dish called 'Hramatka' and started examining its ingredients. I suddenly realised that its recipe was almost identical to that of Butterbeer! And that was how it all began. After further research, I found that English butterbeer and our Hramatka are indeed related beer-based beverages," Stanislav explains.
Building a Belarusian Beer Brand
Even people with little interest in beer are familiar with Czech, German, and Slovak beer. Belarusian beer, however, is far less widely known. We asked Stanislav whether this situation could be changed and, if so, how.
"Of course it can be changed, but it will be difficult. It requires substantial investment in producers of our local varieties of malt, hops, and yeast. It also requires investment in science to help select, develop, and improve our malt, hops, and yeast. And, of course, investment in researchers who will search for our brewing heritage deep within history and the collective memory of our people," the Gomel resident believes.
We also decided to indulge in a little imagination. Suppose a beer museum were established in Gomel. What, in Stanislav's opinion, should definitely be included in its collection?
"The recipe for 'Samokhodskoye' beer should definitely be there. The 'samokhody' were people who left the territory of Belarus and travelled to Siberia on their own initiative. Some of these migrants came from the village of Ragin, located 45 kilometres from Gomel. It was a descendant of the 'Ragin samokhody', Tatyana Fyodorovna Slepchenko, who shared the recipe for what we could call our own Gomel beer. All that remains is to complete the reconstruction of this drink and brew it using our local Gomel ingredients," Stanislav says confidently.
Is Beer an Art Form?
Our interviewee believes it is.
"For example, one of the main ways a brewer can express creativity is through the mashing process. This is when liquid containing malt is heated to specific temperatures and held there for a certain amount of time. For instance, heating it to 45–59 degrees Celsius and maintaining that temperature for 15–30 minutes affects the quality and stability of the foam head. The longer you hold it at 65 degrees, the drier the beer will be. By 'playing' with temperature rests in this way, you can 'paint' the flavour profile of your beer."
Let us turn to the technical side of brewing. How difficult is it to brew beer at home, and what equipment is required?
"It is difficult to give a short answer to the question 'Is it hard?' Everything depends on how much time and money a person is willing to invest. You can brew beer in an ordinary cooking pot, or you can use specialised homebrewing equipment, which makes things easier. Here is the minimum equipment and ingredients you will need: a cooking pot, a mashing bag, a kitchen thermometer, some kind of fermentation vessel with an airlock, hops, malt, and yeast," Stanislav explains.
Let's Brew Our Own Beer!
For those who have become interested in brewing, Stanislav has provided a simplified introductory recipe. All the necessary ingredients and equipment can be purchased from specialised shops, of which there are plenty in the country. Readers are welcome to share their experiences in the comments.
Here is the recipe:
- Heat the water to 45°C.
- Put the malt into a mashing bag and place the bag in the pot.
- Begin the mashing process, using a thermometer to heat the contents of the pot to 68°C. Try to maintain this temperature for one hour.
- Raise the temperature to 78°C and hold it there for five minutes.
- Remove the bag containing the malt from the wort.
- Heat the wort until it begins to boil.
- Add the hops and boil for one hour.
- Cool the pot and its contents to 25°C.
- Transfer the wort to a fermentation vessel and add the yeast.
- Allow the beer to ferment for approximately 14 days. Then bottle it, add a small amount of sugar, seal the bottles, and leave them in a warm place for another 14 days.
- After completing these steps, place the young beer in the refrigerator to mature for approximately 25 days — and your beer is ready!
If the world of brewing has caught your interest, be sure to subscribe to our interviewee's YouTube channel. Good luck with your brewing adventures!
Author: Alexey Shkurov.
Originally published by Silnye Novosti on December 4, 2023.
