Odessa Brewfest brings Delaware historic site to broader audience

I am not a beer drinker, but if I were to be transported back 300 years to colonial Delaware, and specifically Historic Odessa, from where I am writing this column, not only would I be imbibing the amber brew on a daily basis, but I would most likely be homebrewing it as well.

As early European colonists avoided drinking water like the plague, beer, considered a healthy alternative to water, was a major dietary staple in the colonies, consumed by everyone from cradle to grave.

The term “small beer” was used to describe a home-brewed ale, made from barley, that was much lower in alcohol and would have been consumed by women and children; commercially brewed beer was called “strong beer,” served in taverns, inns, as well as the home. Making your own beer and cider in the 17^th and 18^th centuries was as important a domestic craft as hearth cooking, tending a kitchen garden or spinning yarn.