Glow In The Dark Beer!
So, I was investigating fluorescence standards and I discovered that tonic water is fluorescent - hit it with a black light and it glows in the dark. Turns out that the magic ingredient in tonic water is quinine, which comes naturally from the bark of a South American tree called Cinchona. But it's bitter, which is why you don't find it in many drinks.
You've probably fantasized about different ingredients to beer, but how often do you consider alternative bittering agents? How about one that glows in the dark? If you're wondering why the bark of a tree from South America is in your gin and tonic, it's interesting to know that oil from cinchona bark was discovered in the 1600's to be a cure for the symptoms of malaria, which is first caused by the bite of a mosquito.
Malaria results in a nasty fever, but the symptoms are much milder when consuming a regular regimen of quinine. Several kings maintained this secret remedy, including King Charles of England and the French king Louis XIV. The key to this miraculous herb, and the reason it was secret for so long: the oils from that bark only dissolve into ethanol; ethanol, it's exactly what we have in our beer. Boom!
Back in the early 1900's, the workers on the Panama Canal were provided with quinine every day. That area was a mosquito hatching garden. They got little white chewable tablets with their stale hard tack and pork bit. Quinine is bitter, so they'd mix it with something sweet, maybe some lemonade or sweet beer. Sounds like... hmmm... hops! Sounds like a great "layer" on my next pale ale, too!
So, I says to myself, "self, the local midnight dance club would probably like to have a bunch of clear solo cups full of glow-in-the-dark light lager". Self did not respond readily, cause self was druck. But self did acknowledge the next day with excitement and aplomb! Game on.
I bought a bunch of quinine extract online (ironically, someone from the Amazon had it! (www.amazon or something like that). Added it to the fermentor. Cool! And, [drum roll] no more malaria! I'm ready for that Amazonian expedition I've been dreaming about! I'll bring the beer.
Once in the glass, magic. Ready for beer pong!
Take a chance. Jump into the newest brewing craze. It's.... alive! All the cool kids are doing it. Oh, and happy April 1st.
So, I was investigating fluorescence standards and I discovered that tonic water is fluorescent - hit it with a black light and it glows in the dark. Turns out that the magic ingredient in tonic water is quinine, which comes naturally from the bark of a South American tree called Cinchona. But it's bitter, which is why you don't find it in many drinks.
You've probably fantasized about different ingredients to beer, but how often do you consider alternative bittering agents? How about one that glows in the dark? If you're wondering why the bark of a tree from South America is in your gin and tonic, it's interesting to know that oil from cinchona bark was discovered in the 1600's to be a cure for the symptoms of malaria, which is first caused by the bite of a mosquito.
Malaria results in a nasty fever, but the symptoms are much milder when consuming a regular regimen of quinine. Several kings maintained this secret remedy, including King Charles of England and the French king Louis XIV. The key to this miraculous herb, and the reason it was secret for so long: the oils from that bark only dissolve into ethanol; ethanol, it's exactly what we have in our beer. Boom!
Back in the early 1900's, the workers on the Panama Canal were provided with quinine every day. That area was a mosquito hatching garden. They got little white chewable tablets with their stale hard tack and pork bit. Quinine is bitter, so they'd mix it with something sweet, maybe some lemonade or sweet beer. Sounds like... hmmm... hops! Sounds like a great "layer" on my next pale ale, too!
So, I says to myself, "self, the local midnight dance club would probably like to have a bunch of clear solo cups full of glow-in-the-dark light lager". Self did not respond readily, cause self was druck. But self did acknowledge the next day with excitement and aplomb! Game on.
I bought a bunch of quinine extract online (ironically, someone from the Amazon had it! (www.amazon or something like that). Added it to the fermentor. Cool! And, [drum roll] no more malaria! I'm ready for that Amazonian expedition I've been dreaming about! I'll bring the beer.
Once in the glass, magic. Ready for beer pong!
Take a chance. Jump into the newest brewing craze. It's.... alive! All the cool kids are doing it. Oh, and happy April 1st.