A toast to Captain Cook with none other than his own brew - Bruce Griffiths of Cook 'n' with Gas and Mike Bradstock amid containers of Scurvey Grass and Native Celery, raise a glass in anticipation of the launch of their new beer.

 

 

Pair Revive a Masterly Brew

Captain James Cook was not only a great navigator, but also an excellent brewer of beer, say two Christchurch men who are moving to launch a new beer made to the explorer's own recipe.

Restauranteur Bruce Griffiths and writer and scientist Mike Bradstock have spent three months replicating the spruce beer Cook brewed during his voyages of exploration in the Pacific in the 1700's.

"Cook never lost a single person to scurvy on his travels because he was big on green vegetables and beer", says Mike Bradstock, who discovered the description of making beer flavoured with rimu and manuka while reading the journal of the Endeavour voyage.

He said it was exceeding palatable and esteemed by everyone on board". It must have been wonderful for those guys who also got a whole lot of vitamins. They would have loved it, says Mike.

He and Bruce Griffiths of Cook 'n' With Gas on Worcester Boulevard, have been experimenting with the hop-free 4 percent alcohol beer, which is making its debut to poach a Cook's Coalfish (Blue Cod) and scurvey grass dish in the current Monteith's Wild Food Challenge.

When Icook up the infusion the whole house is perfumed by the rimu and manuka, Mr Griffiths says.

With a clean, astringent quality and slightly honey-like taste, the beer is part of the two men's new range of products, Heritage Foods. "Our range will have dozens of different items - It's a celebration of our colonial heritage."

By Jocelyn Johnstone

Tannins, terpenes, and diterpenoids
Leedom Gibbs
Brewing excellent beer must be added to Captain Cook’s many talents, say two Christchurch men who are about to launch on the market a new beer made to the explorer’s own recipe.
Restauranteur Bruce Griffiths and ethnic foods researcher Mike Bradstock have replicated the ‘spruce beer’ Cook brewed during his voyages of exploration in the Pacific.

Bradstock discovered Cook’s description of making beer flavoured with ‘spruce’ (rimu sprigs) and tea tree (manuka), while reading the journal of the Endeavour voyage. “Cook first made it in 1769 at Dusky Sound in Fiordland, as part of his campaign against scurvy (vitamin C deficiency). In Cook’s own words, it was ‘exceeding Palatable and esteemed by every one on board’.”
“This was a momentous occasion in our culinary history—New Zealand’s first beer. You couldn’t get much more of a heritage recipe than that!”

Inspired by the success of Bruce Griffiths’ restaurant, Cook’n’ With Gas, in previous Wild Food Challenges, Mike Bradstock suggested a partnership to explore the brew’s potential, gearing towards the 2003 competition. It is to be used in the greens to accompany ‘coal fish’ (blue cod) and to poach venison in.

After some experiments to get the ingredients and process right they describe the result as “almost unbelievably good. It has a clean astringent taste, not unlike regular beer made with hops, but slightly honey-like, with a distinctive aroma at the bottling stage.”
Cook certainly choose his flavourings well, says Mike Bradstock. “Rimu and tea tree contain tannins, terpenes, ellagic acid, and diterpenoids, which are antioxidants and also have medicinal qualities.”
“Cook obviously knew what he was doing. He chose rimu as the nearest thing he could find to American black spruce, which he had used in America—hence the name spruce beer,” Bradstock said. Cook used native green vegetables. Native celery and a kind of cress, known as Cook’s scurvy grass, is now grown for the menu in Bradstock’s Cashmere garden.

“It’s all part of ‘rediscovering’ authentic heritage foods that help make up a distinctively New Zealand cuisine,” Griffiths said. “Antonio Cariuccio recently reminded us chefs and food aficionados alike that we must watch the new doesn’t replace the old ways. This beer represents that ‘back-to-basics’ approach. The recipe is ancient but it’s still valid today.”