Hops, Beer and a Limp Dick

nuadaYes everyone loves a good beer. Who doesn’t?  After swilling a couple brews, your inhibitions subside and that horny funny feeling arises. Well do you want a straight pointer or linguini? The sad part is that hops are an anaphrodisiac which means in short that you are left a limp weanie and sleepy. What a bummer! One solution is to drink mead instead, that wonderful honey-inspired wine gift from the gods. Legend has it that the Viking god Odin was able to make love for 3 days straight after drinking 3 huge barrels. Not a bad campaign eh? Yeah but we are left with our love of beer. The bad news is in medieval times those Protestants put into law that hops must be used in the production of beer in order to take away that sexual feeling. I know I might be upsetting all you homebrewers and your love of hops but that is the fair truth. Before that our ancestors used all kinds of amazing herbs to not only make great beer called ale or gruit, but also made sure the sex was great. Bad news is that you might have to make your own because it is hard to find, but the good news is that you can feel like a Viking again on your next sexual conquest.

 

Never A Saint With Red Hair

A Russian proverb states, “There was never a saint with red hair”, meaning all red-heads are prone to evil tempers and dissolute ways. In fact, one of the most famous Irish saints, Brigid, was a red-head.

Irelands-St.-Brigid.jpg

It all began with Brid, the goddess of fire, patroness of hearth and home, smiths and forges, healers and herbs, poets and language. Honored in ancient Ireland, it was claimed that at birth, a column of fire reached from her red curls up into heaven. Many girls were named Brid, or Brigid, in her honor.

One such girl was Saint Brigid. Born in 435 AD to a chieftain and a slave girl, and raised by Druids, she was beautiful and iron-willed. She refused to be married off, instead choosing to follow the revolutionary teachings of St Patrick and embracing Christianity.

She worked many miracles, from controlling the weather to improving the yield of crops and livestock, and even outwitted Irish Chieftains. She travelled far and wide, eventually building an Abbey in Kildare where she welcomed travelers with legendary hospitality. She was fond of ale, and said to be the best brewer in all of Ireland! She also kept a magic red-eared cow that gave the most and best milk in the land.

Brigid’s feast day is still celebrated on February 1st, the old feast of the goddess Brid. On that day it is said Brigid travels through Ireland with her magic cow, blessing those who remember and honor their sacred roots.

Redheaded Stepchild Ale

redheaded stepchild irish red aleAfter discovering this online, how could I not post this cool lil red-haired imp!? I have never drunk Redheaded Step Child Irish Red Ale, but I am sure it has all the devious qualities you are looking for.

Irish red ale is first mentioned in an 8th or 9th century Irish poem, but other than that its history is hard to pin down – a lot like a red-head!

Created during a time when herbs such as heather, sweet gale, bog myrtle, and buck-bean were preferred over hops, red ale relies on malt, not hops, for its aroma and flavor.

 

The reddish hue comes from adding a small amount of roasted barley.

Irish Red Ale