Taste of History: Brewery brings George Washington’s over 250-year-old beer recipe to life

Copy Editor

Ever wanted to try a historic brew? Now you can.

The New York Public Library announced this week that it partnered with a brewery to revive George Washington’s beer recipe for America’s 250th anniversary.

“Liberty Lager” will be available from Talea Beer Co. in New York City. The brew is a commercial product inspired by Washington’s recipe, rather than a historically accurate recreation.

As a colonel in the Virginia militia, the fastidious Washington kept a journal, and it included a recipe: “To Make Small Beer.”

According to historians, “small beer” refers less to the size of the batch than to the type of beverage — in this case, mostly water, hops and molasses, which tastes “a little” like beer. The drink was often used when proper drinking water was not readily available, for its nutritional value. Instead of a social lubrication libation, Washington’s version of the drink was more likely used as sustenance for soldiers out on a long march.

Here is the recipe recreated in full by Washington historians at Mount Vernon:

“To make Small Beer Take a large Siffer full of Bran Hops to your taste – Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a Cooler[.] put in 3 Gall[ons] molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather draw the molasses into the Cooler & strain the Beer on it while boiling Hot[.] let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Ye[a]st[.] if the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank[et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask – leave the Bung open till it is almost done working – Bottle it that day week it was Brewed[.]”

Previously, the New York Public Library partnered with a different brewery in 2011 to make a porter version of Washington’s small beer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the building where the library is housed.