Call for Submissions
Try your hand at producing a prehistoric/early historic fermented beverage from any time period/geographic area using archaeologically/historically attested plants as hops substitutes!
On Saturday April 25, 2026 from 5:00-7:00pm in the Honors College (HON 196), 3363 N Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211 the Hortus Academicus/Brew Garden initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will hold a tasting competition with three judges choosing the top three brews, all of whom are professionals associated with local businesses involved in brewing, dispensing, and/or reporting on fermented beverages.
The judges for 2026 are: Jerry Janiszewksi (Wisconsin Historical Foundation Board of Directors, Old World Wisconsin Historic Brewhouse Consultant), Daniel Kern (Head Brewer at Water Street Brewery), Rob Novak (Director, Old World Wisconsin Brewing Experience). There will also be a People’s Choice award with non-contestants casting their votes via ballot for their favorite brew. Joe Yeado has generously agreed to offer the winner the opportunity to brew their beer using the pilot brewing system at Gathering Place in River West with a launch party at GP to follow.
Any brews with archaeological/historical pedigrees are welcome (i.e., based on specific finds or documentary evidence for a particular Nordic grog, medieval gruit, or other beer) but feel free to experiment. We’ll also be asking all entrants to provide a grain bill/recipe as well as a few images presenting the story of their entry in the form of a short PowerPoint. Check out past entries at https://sites.uwm.edu/barnold/2019/01/17/unhopped-iron-brewer-challenge-2019/ and https://sites.uwm.edu/barnold/2024/06/21/fourth-unhopped-iron-brewer-challenge-april-6-2024/
How to Enter
- Send an e-mail with the name(s) of the entrant(s) and the title of your proposed entry by March 15, 2026 to: barnold@uwm.edu
- Send the event announcement on to friends who are home brewers or brewers who are friends and encourage them to participate. Teams are OK, too!
- Get brewing! Some of these concoctions will need time to be ready by late April. Questions about ingredients/procedures/source material? Email barnold@uwm.edu
Specifications
Batch size should be at least 2 gallons; 5 gallons preferred (bottles, barrels, homebrew kegs all OK).
A list of approved ingredients is provided below, but feel free to use any food-safe historically or archaeologically attested ingredient:
- Any Old World or New World grain or equivalent (i.e., maize) (if you’re really adventurous, consider trying something like spelt, buckwheat, or millet).
- Any yeast strain (feel free to try something new). Choices include traditional brewing strains, wine strains, bread strains, Norwegian kveik strains, or mixed cultures featuring any combination of brewing yeast, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and/or any other microorganism found in traditional fermentations.
- Any type of additional sugar (honey, fruit juice, bottling sugar or whatever you fancy – just keep track of your additives!).
- Bittering/flavoring options (combinations are fine but less may be more with some of these plants). Plant ingredients can be added in dried or fresh form in a mesh bag directly to the wort during the boil, just before the end of the boil or as a prepared tisane/“tea” with the plant ingredients strained out before adding to the brew.
Suggested Plant List for Old World Brews
(For New World inspiration see recent Field Museum experiment with pepper berries; chocolate/caco nibs are also an option). Some of these plants are available from the Hortus Academicus/Brew Garden on the Honors College grounds. If you are interested in using anise hyssop, mugwort, mint, or thyme in your brew, please email
barnold@uwm.edu.)
- Alecost/Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)
- Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Betony (Stachys officinalis)
- Carrot/wild carrot (Daucus sativus/carota)
- Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Mint (Mentha spp)
- Rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Sweet Gale or Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Yarrow (Achillaea millefolium)
- Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
- Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)
- Bog cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris)
- Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
- Juniper (Juniperus communis)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
- St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
- Bog myrtle (Myrica gale)