Back to Search1796 Spruce Beer
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Beer Style: American Pale Ale, American Amber Ale
Recipe Type: extract
Yield: 1 gallons
Description:
A unique gluten-free homebrew adaptation of an authentic 18th-century American recipe from American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons. This historical gluten-free spruce beer uses naturally gluten-free fermentables—corn syrup and molasses—along with fresh spruce tips and Cascade hops to create a crisp, lightly herbal, citrus-forward ale. Perfect for adventurous brewers interested in gluten-free brewing at home, colonial-era recipes, and historically inspired beers with modern flavor balance.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Corn Syrup
- 1.5 oz Molasses
- 0.65 oz Cascade Hops
- 1 oz Spruce Tips
- LalBrew Nottingham Ale Yeast
Additional Instructions
Primary Ferment: 14 days at 68 degreesBeer Profile
Alcohol by Vol: 0.0%Color SRM: 0.0
Bitterness IBU: 0.0
Recipe Type: extract
Yield: 1.0 Gallons
Procedure:
Start with 1.25 gallon of water and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add molasses (this prevents scorching the syrup), return to boil allow to achieve hot break.
0.15 oz Cascade Hops (30 min)
0.25 oz Cascade Hops (10 min)
1 oz Spruce Tips (5 min)
0.25 oz Cascade Hops (flameout)
Strain hops and spruce tips out of mixture into another pot, remove from heat. Add 1 lb of Lyle's Golden Syrup or corn syrup.
Cool to approximately 70-75F, transfer to a 1 gallon jug, and pitch 1/2 packet of LalBrew Nottingham Ale Yeast.
Ferment about 2 weeks, then bottle. Use 1 oz of dextrose or 0.9 oz table sugar at bottling for carbonation.
Recipe Note: This is an adaptation of the Spruce Beer recipe from American Cookery. This recipe was written mentioning "molasses," however, we think this is what we would call light molasses/golden syrup today...not dark molasses or blackstrap molasses. Dark or blackstrap molasses would darken the color of the brew and changes the flavor profile.