Chapter Short Story 2: 『Making Beer!』
Author:
This ti, I deliver to you a story after the final chapter of volu 3.
This is a story of what happens to Ritz’s family after his problematic father is added to the fray. I hope you enjoy it.
◇◇◇◇
I was at the table with my Parents, Sieg and Arno.
Everyone was talking with serious expressions. The topic was about this village’s specialty.
Father noted that there were reindeer at, many different kinds of berries and handicrafts like kuksas among many other things, yet there wasn’t any food or good that could represent the place.
“For tourists, specialty goods are attractive, you see.”
“I-I see.”
Father’s critique was sharp and accurate.
I’ve been working to try and increase the number of tourists, but they never increased to more than the year Sieg ca here.
In hindsight, goods similar to things such as reindeer at, berries and handicrafts are found in other nearby villages.
We started getting sowhere with the eagle symbol on the kuksas, but that didn’t feel like much.
Then, what would be good? We gathered to discuss that.
I gathered up the village’s produce I had in the house.
Reindeer et, berry juice, jam, alcohol, handicrafts with eagle marks, linen, wooden bears, honey, docunts on ‘The Crimson Eagle’, etc.
We couldn’t really think of a bright idea.
“——Bear!”
Amidst the silence, Arno gave his opinion.
“Right, bears, that might be nice.”
There’s the mascot character Teoporon (?) so it might beco the attraction of the village.
Maybe a corner called ‘et White Bear-san’ for children…… Well, there aren’t many children coming here on tours though.
“So, in the end, we need sothing for adults……”
Sieg murmured sothing about alcohol.
There’s berry wine in other villages and ours isn’t much of a specialty that’s different from others.
While I was pondering with a frown on my face, mother made a suggestion.
“Ritchan, how about honey beer?”
I see, beer!
If it’s honey, it would be made into ad, but those are made easily in hos so they won’t attract much attention.
Beer is nice and loved by both n and won. Moreover, ‘honey beer’ sounds pretty nice.
There shouldn’t any problems with the honey, I thought. A lot was gathered just this year. Next year, I want to add more hives so that we could get more honey for selling and making alcohol.
“The problem is how to make it, but maybe the procedure is written in one of the books in grandfather’s library?”
“Haru-kun, if it’s beer, I can tell you how~”
I ended up getting surprised at father. He said that he only read it and hadn’t actually made it, but that he clearly rembers the ingredients and the procedure.
What a dependable father. I was moved a bit.
“Beer, as its na suggests[1], is alcohol made using fernted barley, and the process is accelerated through adding sugar.”
The main ingredients are malted barley, hops, yeast, water and sugar. Other than hop, the ingredients for the drink can be gathered in this village.
Father told that honey beer can be made by using honey instead of sugar.
“Why don’t we try making so samples. Dad, can you help ?”
“Yeah, alright~”
For now, the candidate for our special produce is decided.
If and when the honey beer is completed, I’m planning on using the white bear and honey mother drew for the packaging.
◇◇◇
My first work together with father began.
“Malted barley is, like how it sounds[2], germinated barley~”
First, barley is soaked in water.
Even though it sprouts, it sounds like the appearance isn’t different form normal barley.
“As you can see, it’s not to be sprouted fully, but budding barely above the surface.”
“Hehh~”
It’s ready once the malted barley is slightly plump. If there are any roots protruding, they are removed.
After that, they are dried in sunlight.
Once the barley is completely dried, they are then toasted in pots. It seems like they are ready once cracking sounds are heard.
“Next, we smash the malted barley.”
The toasted barley are placed in a clean bag, then pounded using a board and a wooden stick.
After that, he told that we have to boil them.
“We will mash the barley in a pot for a while, but be careful to not let the temperature drop.”
“Alright.”
Three hours after putting the barley in the pot. I sotis stirred the stew so that it would boil well.
The finished thing is filtered using cloth then further squeezed with hotter water. This squeezed mixture is called wort.
Into this wort, hop for bitter flavour and honey for accelerating the process is added, then it’s boiled.
The mixture and water is put into a disinfected bottle. Since it seems like they all need to be cooled, I drew so water from the well.
Once it cooled sufficiently, I put in so yeast.
A few hours later, there were foams forming. Looks like the process is properly going.
After a week, the foams stop, after which the liquid is poured into a different bottle.
Here, more honey is put in.
It is finished after about a month of leaving it in a dark place.
“Haru-kun, it’s finally finished.”
“Yeah, that was long……”
Sumr was over, and the season was completely in autumn.
We took out the honey beer that was left in a cool place. First, father and I need to test it.
I wanted to check the shade, so I poured so into a transparent glass cup.
With fizzing sounds, small bubble popped.
I was imagining a beautiful amber shade, but the beer had an ochre shade, should I say? It had a really complicated shade.
“Ah~ it’s murky after all.”
“H-How co!?”
“Protein’s probably the reason why.”
“That can’t be~~”
It seems like an agent called carrageenan is needed. He said that it’s not sold in these areas.
“Carrageenan cos from seaweeds from southern countries~”
“I see.”
Well, the appearance doesn’t matter. What’s important is the taste.
I gulped from nervousness. Father was going to have the first taste.
“Mm!”
He had the usual carefree smile, so I couldn’t tell if it was good or not.
Looks like I need to check it myself.
I mustered up courage and took a sip.
“——Wah!”
After the beer passed down my throat, I let out a voice of surprise.
What should I say — it was very bitter.
“Looks like we used too much hop.”
“It’s cold, so the bitter taste is sharp……”
However, there was a soft aftertaste of honey. A flowery scent lingered too.
This isn’t too bad. It was a taste that could be perfected after so effort.
Father put in so honey and lemon into the glass. After saying that it shouldn’t be as bitter, he handed the drink.
“Ah, this is nice!”
Because there was additional honey, the taste was mild and it went well with the refreshing flavour of the lemon.
I gulped it down in a blink.
“Well, it needs improvent, though.”
“Still, this is very nice, dad.”
“Then that’s nice.”
After saying that, he smiled happily.
I wonder if this is father’s real smile. I stared at him.
◇◇◇
At night, Sieg tried so honey beer too.
After Arno was born, she didn’t have much alcohol, so this will be a drinking party after a long ti.
“So it’s finally finished?”
“Yes, am I not amazing?”
I wanted to be complinted by her so I appealed how I did many things.
When I leaned against her shoulder, she stroked my head, saying, “You did well.”
Yes, I’m trying my best every day for this.
And for my wife who is also working hard every day, I poured so honey beer for her.
“Would like so honey and lemon?”
“No, I want to try it on its own first.”
It was rather bitter, but Sieg drank it all without batting an eyebrow.
“How is it?”
“Delicious.”
“Really?”
“Aa. Of course, it tastes a little bitter, but there’s also the sweet flavour of honey, so it’s good.”
“I see.”
I’m planning on having other people taste it and make changes to it.
As the two of us were enjoying beer, I noticed a small change in Sieg.
Her face was red, which was a rare thing.
“Huh, could it be, from alcohol?”
“……Maybe. I feel a little lightheaded.”
Maybe it’s because I drank after a long ti, Sieglinde murmured.
Want lend a shoulder? When I asked so, she gently leaned against .
“My face is hot.”
“That’s rare.”
When I touched her cheek, it was hot.
“Ritz, your hand is nice and cool.”
While saying that, she entrusted her weight to .
“……I feel a little sleepy now.”
“It’s okay if you sleep. I’ll carry you to the bed.”
Drunk Sieg is very cute and I feel happy that she’s relying on like this.
Crackling sounds of wood burning ca from the fireplace.
Before I realised it, Sieg really fell asleep.
Since she always sleeps later and wakes up earlier than , her sleeping face is valuable.
I enjoyed the quiet night for a while like that.
◇The End◇
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