Playalinda Brewing Co.

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Dinner & Drinks, with a Side of History

Who says new school and old school can’t exist in the same classroom?

At Playalinda Brewing Company, we’re fascinated by epicurean history. Many of the menu items, beers, cocktails and processes we feature were inspired by historical context and traditions.

Upon closer inspection, historical reverence and nods to nostalgia can be found in every corner of both Playalinda Brewing Company’s Brevard County locations, including within the menus.

For example, Brewmaster Ron Raike attributes his lifelong interest in zymurgy and distilling to the traditions and history of his forefathers. Our house-brewed, non-alcoholic Playalinda Cracker’s Root Beer was inspired by the back room batches brewed by his grandfather during Prohibition.

Here’s a look at a few of our favorite historical highlights …

Food Menu

  • Ploughman’s Platter (available at Playalinda’s Hardware Store location)
    Dating back to 1837, this traditional English meal featuring bread, cheese and pickles, was a favorite of laborers before the rationing of cheese began as a result of World Wars I & II. Post war, after the ration was lifted, the Cheese Bureau (yup, that’s a thing) worked to resurrect the Ploughman’s Lunch, as it was originally known, in pubs across the UK. In 1956, the Brewer’s Society made reference to how well the Ploughman’s Lunch compliments a pint of beer in its Monthly Bulletin publication. The spread has been a pub & brewery snack staple ever since.
  • Scotch Egg (available at Playalinda’s Brix Project) – Believe it or not, this hard-boiled, sausage-wrapped egg is nearing its’ 200th anniversary. Said to have been invented by London department store, Fortnum & Mason, in 1738. This protein-packed, pocket-sized palatable snack is older than the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Jim Beam and Colgate toothpaste. Some records indicate the dish, once known as Narcissus Meatballs, can actually be traced back even further, to Medieval India.

Cocktails

  • Moscow Mule (available at Playalinda’s Brix Project) – Contrary to its moniker, the Moscow Mule was actually invented in California, not Russia, in 1941. The drink was created in an effort to revive vodka consumption, which at the time, was historically low. The drink, first mixed in a Los Angeles British pub, is often served in a copper or metal mug, to enhance the chill factor.
  • French 75 (available at Playalinda’s Brix Project) – Made modern by combining Tyler’s Gin, champagne, lemon & sugar – the history of the French 75 dates back to the Prohibition era. … Or does it? The exact origins of the cocktail are a bit of a mystery. It was initially thought to be the only cocktail to have been invented during American Prohibition. However, legendary literary superstar Charles Dickens made mention of serving a strikingly similar cocktail during an 1867 visit to Boston, MA.

Written by Michelle Mulak