Right, so the librarian kindly got back to me, and we
are SOL. It's been missing for 4 years, and they have looked.
She suggested a search on "Trove" which is a bunch of old digitised newspapers.
e.g.:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=horehound+beer+recipe
There are indeed many recipes.
I copied a few of the more different ones (making some OCR corrections in Trove too - yay for homebewers); see below.
Open Questions:
There's a black and a white horehound?
What does the whipped egg white do? Bloody everyone is using it. Fining agent?
Do I need to trade in my keggle for a kerosene tin ?
WTF is the "soapbark" for?
And half a packet of epsom salts ... without so much as a water report. Geeze!
cheers,
-kt
The Land, NSW, 1937-03-26
In reply to a recent invitation, a South Coast reader has kindly supplied the following recipe for horehound beer:
One gallon of water,
two cups of sugar,
half a packet of epsom salts,
juice of four lemons,
a handful of horehound.
Boil all together and strain.
A smaller quantity can be made if desired by reducing the Ingredients in proportion.
The Land, NSW, 1953-09-04
"Reader": A reader forwards this recipe for Horehound beer:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon horehound,
1 tablespoon hops,
1 tablespoon whole ginger (bruised),
1 tablespoon soapbark,
1 handful raisins.
Put all in a large saucepan of water and boil for 20 minutes.
Take off and pour into a kerosene tin and add
6 cups of sugar,
1½ teaspoons of cream of tartar,
1 teaspoon tartaric acid.
Let it stand all night and strain next morning. Put one bottle of lager or 2 teaspoonfuls of compressed yeast into it.
Colour with Parisian essence or burnt sugar.
Bottle and cork.
The Sun, NSW, 1922-08-06
This recipe Is reprinted for M.B. (Whitton):
Boll 1lb. treacle in 6 qts. water, with an ounce of hops, for 10 minutes, and just before removing from the fire put in two or three sprigs of horehound.
Set aside till just warm, when add a good cup of yeast, and strain.
Cover, and leave to ferment for a day or two. Then bottle.
If preferred, you can bottle at once and set a bottle a day by the fire to work quickly, keeping the rest in a cool place to retard fermentation.
A bitter beer can he made by using more horehound, or by boiling longer.
The Sun, NSW, 1921-12-11
This recipe Is sent by M.H.E. (North Sydney) to C.C.S. (Stanmore):
Boil six quarts water, 1oz. hops and 1lb. treacle together for about 10 minutes, and remove from the stove.
Just before taking off the fire add two or three sprigs of horehound.
Let stand until just warm, then add a good cup of yeast. Strain and cover, then let stand for a couple of days before bottling. Tie down thoroughly.
The Prahan Telegraph, VIC, 1919-03-15
"Joan" asks for a recipe for horehound beer.
Into two gallons of water put two large handfuls of loose hops, two or three sprigs of horehound, one small cupful of barley (not pearl) or wheat.
Boil all for twenty minutes. Strain onto 2 lb. of sugar. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Put two gallons of cold water into a cask. Put in the horehound liquid, then add the small cupful of yeast and two tablespoonfuls of cream of tartar, and the well-whipped white of an egg.
The cream of tartar or yeast must be added while the liquid is warm. Colour with a little burnt sugar. Cork tightly and it will be ready for use in twenty four hours or a little longer.
Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, NSW, 1931-10-02
"Bushman," Ballandry.— The following is a recipe for Horehound Beer :
First, get true horehound, not the harsh grey wood with an unpleasant smell, which some people call horehound. The true is more like Balm of Gilead, and grows in hedges and sheep yards.
To a good handful of twigs allow three gallons of water.
Boil all together in a kerosene tin for 20 minutes (if you have any orange or lemon peels, it is an improvement), then add five cups of sugar.
Let cool, and add half cup of yeast. When the horehound rises to the top and bubbles, strain and bottle.
The twigs should be pieces about 12 or 15 inches long.
The Queenslander, QLD, 1930-10-23
MISS C.E.H. (Mt. Isa).—This is an old and tested recipe for making horehound beer:—
Make a strong decoction of horehound, and let it cool to about 80deg., add ½lb. sugar and 4oz. hops to each gallon of the liquid by straining into the vessel. Add a couple of bottles of ale or porter. Keep it in a moderately warm place, and let it ferment for a few days. When it begins to clear and settle remove to a cool place. Draw off and bottle when settled.
Western Mail, WA, 1930-07-10
Reader (Fernbrook) asks - will you publish a recipe for horehound beer.
A lot of horehound grows around here. Hore hound beer is a medicine as well as a beverage and I believe that it is made a lot in the Eastern States.
Horehound beer is made in the same way as hop beer. The quantity of horehound mentioned in the following recipe may not suit your taste. If the beer is not bitter enough after boiling or steeping in boiling water add more horehound and if it is too bitter add water.
Put 1oz. dried horehound or 4oz. of fresh horehound into six gallons of boiling water.
The horehound may be tied in a muslin bag.
Stand the vessel where the water will keep as near as possible to the boiling point without actually boiling for half an hour; or gently boil for a quarter of an hour. Severe boiling will drive off the aroma.
Strain the liquid into a perfectly clean cask in which it has room to work and dissolve 5lb. of brown sugar in it.
If it is desired to use ginger, obtain 1oz. of good whole ginger, bruise it well, tie it in muslin, and place it in the water, at the same time as the horehound.
When, the liquor has cooled to about 80deg. Fah, stir in a cupful of good brewers' yeast.
Allow the liquor to remain in the cask until it has finished working. When it has finished working it will settle and be quite clear It should not be moved or touched while it is working. Then strain it through fine cloth and bottle it.
It will be ready for use in three or four days, and will improve with keeping so long is it is well corked and tied down.
The Land, NSW, 1921-12-16
"Anxious" asks: Can you tell me how to make hore-hound beer?
Answer.—
If required for medicinal purposes, all that is required is: To every pint of boiling water add one ounce of leaves of
the white horehound (not the black), steep for two hours, and then strain.
If for a general drink, see recipe for hop beer in Women's Pages in this issue, and in place of hops substitute about two-thirds of white horehound leaves.
Probably Referred-to Recipe "Hop Beer" (from the same newspaper) -
Take 4 gallons of water, 4oz. of hops, 4lb. of brown sugar, or less if not liked so sweet, 2 tablespoonsful of ground ginger, 1 spray of horehound.
Boil all together till the hops sink. When cool, strain and beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, and mix with the beer; then put in a keg and cork.
It will be ready for use in two or three days. If liked a glass of brandy may be mixed with it.