Barnöl

[Mark Hoenig]

I read the Emigrants recently, and the occasion of a Barnöl was translated as Christening Ale.  I gather that this  refered to an occassion, rather than an actual drink.  From what I gather, in Viking times, a special Child Ale was actually brewed in honour of the new arrival.  Does anyone know how long this tradition lasted?  As a brewer, new father, and one interested in his scandanavian heritage, making a norse inspired juniper ale intrigues me!

[Chris Bingefors]

Recipe:
 
0.5 kg blue, oven-dried juniper berries
20 litres water
hops (according to taste)
2 litres caster sugar or syrup (treacle)
3 tbsp brewer´s yeast dissolved in water
 
Crush berries, put in wooden barrel and add water, wait 3 days, boil. Skim carefully. Add hops and sugar, boil. Pour through linen cloth, when finger warm add yeast. Wait for a few days, pour into Drink anchor (I do not know what this is, something to brew in I suppose). 2-3 weeks of fermenting, pour into bottles and cork them. Keep refrigerated.