Before hops, medieval Belgium had something far more interesting in its beer: gruut.
A botanical mixture used to impart bitterness and flavour and to preserve beer between 700 and 1500 AD. There was no set recipe: brewers used whatever grew in the local area. However, three plants were almost universally used:
🌿 Myrica gale (bog myrtle) → myricetol + flavonoids, antimicrobial activity and mild stimulation of the CNS
🌿 Achillea millefolium (yarrow) → thujone yes, the same compound found in absinthe with euphoric effects and CNS activity
🌿 Ledum palustre (marsh rosemary) → ledol and palustrol, sesquiterpenes with documented narcotic effects
When combined with ethanol as a molecular carrier, the bioavailability of all these compounds skyrockets.
The result? Gruit beer was documented as being euphoric, aphrodisiac and psychotropic in higher doses. Far beyond its alcohol content.
It wasn’t about flavour. It was about plant chemistry. As we shall see, the rulers didn’t like this. Completely independent people using plants from their surroundings to brew their own beer at home? No way! This is the story of how the mandatory use of hops, which we all know as a beer ingredient, has survived to the present day.
#nostr #grownostr #phytochemistry #science #beer
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2026-09-11 08:57:51 UTC
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npub14pw8gc3qlq7j5eww3x3axzk8j687fgj24tjalx67ea97f4d44cxsjy0ey8Seen on
wss://nos.lolPublished at
2026-09-11 08:57:51 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "Before hops, medieval Belgium had something far more interesting in its beer: gruut.\n\nA botanical mixture used to impart bitterness and flavour and to preserve beer between 700 and 1500 AD. There was no set recipe: brewers used whatever grew in the local area. However, three plants were almost universally used:\n\n🌿 Myrica gale (bog myrtle) → myricetol + flavonoids, antimicrobial activity and mild stimulation of the CNS\n🌿 Achillea millefolium (yarrow) → thujone yes, the same compound found in absinthe with euphoric effects and CNS activity\n🌿 Ledum palustre (marsh rosemary) → ledol and palustrol, sesquiterpenes with documented narcotic effects\n\nWhen combined with ethanol as a molecular carrier, the bioavailability of all these compounds skyrockets.\n\nThe result? Gruit beer was documented as being euphoric, aphrodisiac and psychotropic in higher doses. Far beyond its alcohol content.\n\nIt wasn’t about flavour. It was about plant chemistry. As we shall see, the rulers didn’t like this. Completely independent people using plants from their surroundings to brew their own beer at home? No way! This is the story of how the mandatory use of hops, which we all know as a beer ingredient, has survived to the present day.\n\n#nostr #grownostr #phytochemistry #science #beer \n\n",
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