Labrador tea?

[dancingbarefoot]

While digging through my field guide to Alaskan plants (in prep for some fieldwork I'll be doing starting next week), I saw mention of Labrador tea being used in beer. Does anyone know what for? I'm assuming it's an additive, but what is it supposed to do for the beer? For flavor? There wasn't anything more specific than "has been used for beer" in the plant's description.

Just wondering, because if it's a good ingredient to test out, I'll pick scads of it before heading back to the Lower 48 in the fall. Plus, Labrador tea is mildly poisonous (although Alaska Natives drink tea out of it all the time), so if it's used for beer that's... interesting.

 

[zoebisch01]

It's probably like any other herbal/spice addition. Mostly for flavor, maybe for that 'mysterious' element.

 

[Gabe]

Black, Yellow or Chocolate ?

 

[zoebisch01]

Black, Yellow or Chocolate ?

Actually I think it has a little Maui Wowee in it

 

[Nurmey]

Have you tasted labrador tea? It's been quite a while since I tasted it (grew up in Alaska) but I remember it as having a very nasty taste and if ingest too much you will be spending a lot of time on the potty being very uncomfortable. I would be the last person to discourage anyone from experimentation with beer but please sip a little tea (and I mean a LITTLE) before getting too excited about it.

 

[the_bird]

"It's Labrador, man!"

 

[dancingbarefoot]

Have you tasted labrador tea? It's been quite a while since I tasted it (grew up in Alaska) but I remember it as having a very nasty taste

Yeah, but many ingredients taste like sh*te on their own yet make for a tasty brew. Taste alone wouldn't make me ditch it.

I'm mainly curious what it was used for. Google yields vague references to Labrador tea as a replacement for hops, but like I said, vague. Nothing I would trust if I wanted to experiment. If it turned out to be a useful ingredient, I'd pick some, but only if. If anyone knows of a good reference book for this sort of information, I'd love to hear it.

 

[Nurmey]

As a kid we always called it "Alaskan Exlax" so my caution flags went up when I read your post. Of course back then I wasn't thinking about beer so it may well be a replacement/addition to hops or even an interesting flavoring.

I checked through my "Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible" to see if I could find any reference but no joy there. I also looked at "The Homebrewer's Garden" but that was a no go too. If you find something I would be interested to hear about it. I'm always looking for intesting additions to my recipes and if it's good I may have my Mom grab a handful and send it down to me.

 

[dancingbarefoot]

Thanks for checking your books for me.

I'm not a fan of Labrador tea, but an Iñupiaq friend of mine swears by it. She drinks tons of the stuff!

 

[jammer]

I believe it is also called wild rosemary. It is supposedly along the lines of wormwood (absinthe). Wild rosemary and wormwood used to be used in a style of beer called Gruit as well as many other type of beer. This style of beer was brewed before hops were discovered. I've had one example of the style before, which was fairly good, just very different. It didnt have wormwood or wild rosemary.

If you do decide to use it though, i believe you should be using the small flowers from the top of the plant.

heres some information on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_rosemary
http://www.gruitale.com/bot_wildrosemary.htm

 

[Nurmey]

Nice work Jammer!

 

[jammer]

Im here to help!

 

[badflash]

This is an old post, but one worth continuing. I currently brew mostly gruit, which as some may know is beer bittered with something other than hops. Marsh Rosemary is one of the herbs I use as well as its close relative Labrador Tea. You only use a quarter oz per 5 gallon batch. I also use Yarrow, Mugwort and Sweet Gale along with it. I am really hooked on this brew. None of the sleepiness associated with hopped beer.

 

[aguajamaica]

I've once tasted labrador tea, and it tasted like hibiscus tea made from hibiscus flower. That brew is, oh well, pretty nice and worth trying for!

 

[nealizm]

While digging through my field guide to Alaskan plants (in prep for some fieldwork I'll be doing starting next week), I saw mention of Labrador tea being used in beer. Does anyone know what for? I'm assuming it's an additive, but what is it supposed to do for the beer? For flavor? There wasn't anything more specific than "has been used for beer" in the plant's description.

Just wondering, because if it's a good ingredient to test out, I'll pick scads of it before heading back to the Lower 48 in the fall. Plus, Labrador tea is mildly poisonous (although Alaska Natives drink tea out of it all the time), so if it's used for beer that's... interesting.

Were drinking dog**** mannn?!