Drink history from a heather contains more than three thousand years. On a legend its secret was lost when the cattle exterminated tribes of the Picts owning art of production of this drink.
History of heather honey
In historical sources of the eighth century AD there are mentions of heather ale or heather honey as favourite drink of the cattle that allows to draw a conclusion that these people adopted tradition of production of drink at Picts with whom the cattle had a strong and strong union. The beautiful legend stated by Robert Stephenson in the ballad has a baking plate itself very few historic facts.
Formally, the secret of production of drink was lost after conquest of Scotland by England. National customs and traditions of this earth appeared under a ban, and it was authorized to cook ale only from malt and hop so wonderful heather ale was officially forgotten. However in the mountainous areas representing the historical homeland of Picts who were authors of this drink Scots, most likely, continued to cook heather ale secretly from British.
Heather ale today
During hundreds of years the secret of heather honey was officially lost until in 1986 somebody Bruce Uilliams found the ancient family recipe. It turned out that in the ancient time for production of this drink used special fir malt which was boiled with tops of heather branches before receiving a mash, after that added fresh heather color to the received mix. Then this weight was fermented within ten-twelve days. Process of fermentation did a heather dark, and the drink which was turning out as a result differed in deep amber color, very mild brisk taste and dense, viscous, even oily texture, as made it similar to the medical Renaissance of tradition of cooking of ale from a heather it was heroic work. Bruce Uilliams was engaged in the researches in a private order, persistently experimented with time of collecting heather flowers and ways of processing of plants. It spent for the experiments several years. For example, during its researches it became clear that for production of the best ale it is possible to use the tops of branches of a heather as on their main part the moss which gives narcotic effect lives. Perhaps it also explains euphoric impact of drink on Scots, unusual to it. Heather ale is produced commercially since 2000 by the Heather Ale Ltd company. So it is possible to tell that traditions of preparation of honey from a heather found the second life. Anyone can taste this wonderful drink, having bought products of the company.