Take a journey back to the times of the Vikings and enjoy a fine braggot with your meal. The history of braggot beers dates back to Renaissance Europe in the 1500s. Today, it’s the official drink of Wales. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out on a beverage that is essentially beer mixed with honey.
You may find a braggot under a different name: bragget, bracket, or bragawd are some common examples. The second half of the word may vary, but the meaning of the word relies on the first half, “brag.” In Welsh, brag means malt and refers to the heavy amount of this ingredient in the drink. In Welsh, you would order one by asking for a bragod.
Some people refer to braggot as a mead since the beverage is made from a nearly equivalent share of honey and malts. However, mead is made from fermented honey and is far sweeter. For braggot, honey is often added to the beer during the fermentation process, although sometimes it is added to the mixture during the boil. Breweries may rely upon locally-sourced honey to give their concoctions fresh, seasonal flavors.
One of the most significant differences between braggot and other beers is how hops are used or eliminated from the beverage. In many beers, hops play a primary role in defining the taste of the drink. However, in braggot, the taste develops from honey and spices instead. Some braggots have no hops, while others have a small amount of them just to give the drink a little bitterness.
Braggots have a wide spectrum of flavors, from light and fruity to dark and smooth. Those that have fewer hops and rely on getting their tastes from ingredients like blackberry honey may have a drier tartness like a sour beer. Darker beers can have notes of spice, earthiness, caramel, or chocolate.
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