Gruit
Term from the Brauwerkstatt brewing glossary, category “History and beer culture”.
Explanation
Herb mixture used to flavour and preserve beer before hops, for example with bog myrtle, yarrow and wild rosemary. Whoever had the right to sell or tax gruit earned well from it – in Bruges, for example, the lords of Gruuthuse. From the late Middle Ages, hops pushed gruit aside. Some breweries brew gruit beers again today.
Test your knowledge
What did hops gradually replace in the Middle Ages?
- Gruit, a herb mixture
- Malt
- Yeast
Show answer
Correct: Gruit, a herb mixture. Gruit was often a valuable monopoly of towns and bishops. But hopped beer kept longer.