Small Beer (drink)
Small beer is a low-proof beverage made from barley, locally by farmers, in bakeries and in lesser quantity in breweries. "Small" describes the absence of hops, as farmers were forced to employ a "gruit" — a collection of whatever flower buds and herbs were available. Beer was perceived as safer to drink than well-water, while giving a tremendous benefit to the isolated farmer's calorie intake. Water from wells was often contaminated; the alcohol killed any bacteria, making it safe to drink.
Most persons in the western game world drink between 8 and 12 ounces of small beer per day, with children also imbibing the beverage.
Making
While bakeries and brewers make their own yeast, the ordinary farmer would harvest wild yeast, encouraging the yeast from plants to attach itself to a bowl of flour and water left outside, in the field. Barley is malted in warm, damp conditions for a week, turning starch in the grain into sugar. The barley is heated in a bread oven, drying out the grain and killing any gestation that might have occurred. The malted barley is then boiled in water, to release the sugars. Boiling sterilises well or river water; thereafter, the alcohol in the ale keeps it sterile.
Small beer is typically served in a full stein and costs 2 c.p.
