When Pellicle co-founder Matthew Curtis asked me to write a recipe for Kaedweni Stout—one of the fictional beers that feature in the multi-award-winning videogame The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—there was one problem, I had never actually played it! Seeing as it’s sold over 40 million copies worldwide and has since spawned a Netflix series starring Henry Cavill, I thought I had better give it a go and see what all the fuss is about before working on a recipe for you to try and brew at home.

The games’ protagonist is a monster hunter called Geralt of Rivia—the eponymous Witcher. You begin the game by trying to track down an old flame—the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg—and initially, you’re aided in this task by mentor, father figure and fellow Witcher, Vesemir. There is some talk of war going on between various nations but the Witchers seem unperturbed by this. The first place you go to look for information on Yennefer’s whereabouts is at the White Orchard Inn. Five minutes into the game and we’re already off to the pub, I’m hooked already!

A core mechanic of the Witcher 3 is foraging wild flora and fauna to mix into potions and blade oils, which in turn help you gain an advantage over the monsters in the game, so I decided to take my inspiration from there. I considered how dates were used as an ingredient in beer by the Ancient Egyptians and featured in the recreation of Ta Henket (what research tells us is similar to what Ancient Egyptian would have tasted like) in Professor Patrick E. McGovern’s book, Ancient Brews. They impart a sugary, caramel flavour which I thought would be perfect in a sweet stout.

Later in the game I accidentally stumble into a beehive and, after making its residents angry by setting it on fire with an Igni sign, I loot their hive to obtain some delicious honey. I love honey as a beer ingredient and make a lot of mead and braggot (beer/mead hybrids), so I felt it would complement the dates and boost the alcohol content. The lives of the people in the war-torn world of the Witcher 3 seem harsh and brutal, so I’m sure they’d want something strong.

Finally, while browsing in the local alchemy shop I saw they had allspice for sale. This mulling spice is used in a lot of seasonal beers alongside cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Allspice is potent stuff and two teaspoons is all you need. In fact, if anything I’d say go down to one teaspoon but I really like the flavour. Still, as much as I say experiment and change things as much as you like, I would recommend making it two maximum.

A smaller grain bill takes into account the ABV boost from the honey, while oat malt is added to ensure it still has a nice full mouthfeel. I included plenty of chocolate and roasted malt, to give a big burnt toffee flavour. Briess Extra Special malt is one of my favourite ingredients, and enhances the flavours of dates, fudge and caramel, while rye imparts a dry, spicy flavour that blends well with allspice. Finally, East Kent Golding hops contribute a traditional earthy bitterness with a hint of spice and floral notes.

The result is a sweet, spicy, thick and creamy stout. I can imagine coming in from the cold weather, having hunted down a wyvern and claimed my bounty, sitting down at an old wooden table and slurping back several of these, the spice warming me up as much as the nearby hearth. Whiling away the evening playing Gwent with endless refills straight from the wooden barrel on the bartop.

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RECIPE

Target Original Gravity (OG) — 1.047*
Target Final Gravity (FG) — 1.011
Target Alcohol by Volume (ABV) — 6.3%*
Target International Bittering Units (IBU) — 36
Batch Size — 20 litres

*You may notice that the OG and ABV don’t quite add up. This is because the honey is being added at secondary fermentation. Be wary of inputting the recipe into a brewing program because it may factor the honey into the OG and make you feel you’ve wildly missed the mark.

INGREDIENTS

2.5kg Pale Malt
500g Rye Malt
500g Oat Malt
200g Briess Extra Special Malt
200g Chocolate Malt
150g Roasted Barley

30.3L Water total (10.3L for mash, 20L for sparge)

40g East Kent Golding hops (added at start the of boil)
60g East Kent Goldings (added five minutes before the end of boil)

2 tsp of allspice powder five (added minutes before the end of boil)
400g Chopped Dates (added to fermenter three days into fermentation)
660g Honey**

10g (1 Packet) Nottingham Danstar Ale Yeast

METHOD

Mash Duration — 1 Hour
Mash Liquor Volume — 10.3 Litres
Total Grist Weight — 3.95 Kg
Liquor to Grist Ratio — 2.6 L/Kg
Mash Temperature — 68ºC
Sparge Liquor Volume — 20 litres
Sparge Liquor Temperature — 75ºC
Boil Duration — 1 Hour
Fermentation Temp — 18ºC

**Heat 1L of water to 85 degrees Celsius then turn off the heat. Stir the honey in and then keep the honey syrup between 80-85 degrees for half an hour and then allow to cool to room temperature before adding to the fermenter. This will kill off most of the wild yeast and bacteria but not boil off the delicate floral aromas.

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