After hosting a couple of them to afternoon tea last week, my friend and colleague, Amanda surprised me with a wee giftie as we were driving in to teach Musical Theatre to 6 year olds, VERY early last Saturday morning. As the gift was a beautiful box of four Historic Ales From Scotland , we both deemed it best to save them for later. And I immediately decided that at least one of them had to be made into chocolates not to be confused with my exploration two years ago of chocolate beer.
My large extended family, in all their eccentric glory, hails from Scotland. They are generous, funny, opinionated and listening to them especially when they are all talking over each other at family gatherings reminds me of my Mum and Dad, who I miss terribly. When a woman came into the shop with a translation of a centuries old recipe for heather ale, the brothers became intrigued. She wanted to see if they could reproduce a batch of the old Celtic ale for her family members.
Fermented drinks have been made in Scotland since the Dark Ages. At an archeological site on the Isle of Rhum, Neolithic remains dating from before BC have been identified as the earliest heather ale. The first ales were produced by the spontaneous fermentation of natural fruit, honey and cereals. Over the centuries these flavours were refined using local indigenous herbs, fruits and flowers.
The range of flavours is infinite; indeed probably every botanical ingredient was tried at some stage to flavour ale. It must be said — I do not drink beer or ale, so the subtleties of flavour and care that has gone into the brewing of these beverages would be lost on me. But I love heather, and a good story, and I know my friend will forgive me for using this singular ale in a batch of truffles … especially as I am planning to give them to her.
Boiling Bree — sounds positively Shakespearean. He used a rich malty London ale, which would contain a good deal of hops. Hopsh was not introduced into Britain until the 18 th centuryand imparts a different quality of bitterness which balances the sweetness of the malt to the heather.
