Scurvy has long been lurking in the shadows of society; a ghost hanging over the heads of malnourished 2nd years. In 2016, the sailing disease was reported to be making a comeback, and in 2017 1 NEWS revealed that one in 10 New Zealanders over 50 were at risk of scurvy. Think about how many days you’ve lived off two minute noodles and beer in a row. When was the last time you ate an orange? Yes you, too, can experience the yellow-skinned beast.
With this in mind, a fourth-year archeology class this year re-created the beer brewed by James Cook & Co., in an attempt to test if it could have prevented scurvy. While scurvy is not at the top of our “worry-list” these days, it was a common enough occurrence in the days of Captain Cook. In lieu of LemSip, sailors had to find other sources of vitamin C to ward off the illness, and in Dusky Sound, Cook’s sailors brewed beer from mānuka and rimu. Sam, Marie and other students in the Archeology Department re-created their methods and found the beverage to be “high in vitamin C”.
Marie said the brewing process consisted of “boiling tree twigs forever then fermenting it for a couple of days”. The “fast and loose” method was successful, but that doesn’t mean you should consider it a viable alternative to fresh fruit and veg. If Cook’s sailors could’ve stopped into Veggie Boys, they probably would have. The Dunedin Botanical Gardens also stocks Lepidium oleraceum, known today as “Cook’s scurvy grass” if you’re in the market for some historical, healing plants.
While it may have passed for “drinkable” in the 1700s, it’s doubtful that you’ll be seeing “Cook’s Rotted Twig Juice” on taps in the Otcy any time soon. That being said, judging by the abundance of lukewarm DoBros in North D flats, the standards of what makes a “drinkable” beer might just be low enough for this ancient brew to find a niche.
Manuka beers exist today and, with proper brewing methods, they’re a safer alternative than a bootstrapped brewery from the Anthropology Department. Students were explicitly barred from consuming the beer, so if that’s any indication of taste, maybe you should stick to your usual sixer.