Boilo
- Thread starter rudedude
- Start date
Someone needs to establish a poll so that the burning question of "Which 4 BWI personalities would be the best ambassadors for this specific brand of whiskey?" can be settled democratically.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 ½ pounds clover honey
- 4 oranges, quartered
- 3 lemons, quartered
- 1 cup raisins
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole allspice berries
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- ½ gallon 190 proof grain alcohol
https://www.inquirer.com/food/drink...r-queens-whiskey-20191211.html?outputType=amp
How Boilo Became a Coal Country Obsession - PUNCH
The cashier shot a brief but doting glance at the two bottles of Four Queens whiskey I’d set down in front of him. “Doing some boilo, are we?”
punchdrink.com
Do not boil the mixture with the grain alcohol (or four queens)!!!! By boiling the mixture with the alcohol you will boil away the best part -- the alcohol. Alcohol boils at 150+ degrees Fahrenheit; water boils at 212 degrees.
"But 98% of Laird’s Four Queens sales are in Pennsylvania, specifically in Schuylkill, Luzerne, Berks, Dauphin, and Lehigh Counties."https://www.inquirer.com/food/drink...r-queens-whiskey-20191211.html?outputType=amp
How Boilo Became a Coal Country Obsession - PUNCH
The cashier shot a brief but doting glance at the two bottles of Four Queens whiskey I’d set down in front of him. “Doing some boilo, are we?”
Actually he doesn't. A water and alcohol mixture will boil both away in a fixed ratio (azeotrope) until that ratio can no longer be maintained. So, yes, alcohol will boil away but not preferentially based on a lower boiling point. And that, my On3 friends is your chemistry lesson of the day. . . . .I take it you have experience in this?
I work with a lot of Skooks and one of 'em gave me some Boilo the other week in exchange for Coquito. It was excellent and it was made with Four Queens. Great for the Holiday Season!
A
A good Skook friend won the Boilo Championship a decade or so ago and gave me the recipe.....Not do be shared on pain of death. Making a double batch today for a party tonight. Na zdravie!
Bottling up some Boilo
It's a favorite holiday tradition in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. Making and or buying Boilo. The brew has a rich history with an even more interesting taste.
www.wnep.com
I’m glad you commented because I was going to question it as well
4.5 cups would seem more appropriate for an already disgusting concoction
The reporter used 4 Roses, which is waaaaay too good of a bourbon to use. It is supposed to be 4 Queens which is available all across the PLCB universe.Bottling up some Boilo
It's a favorite holiday tradition in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. Making and or buying Boilo. The brew has a rich history with an even more interesting taste.
can ONLY be made with 4
- if not then it’s not “real” boilo
The earliest instance of “Boilo” I found in the newspaper was from Feb 1934 in Pottsville. Charles and Helen Ogitis promoted it at their bar/restaurant.
Coincidentally, the two were convicted several times in the previous years (during prohibition) with illegal liquor violations. My guess is, they were making Boilo during prohibition then added it to their menu when prohibition ended.
I wonder if their recipe survived the generations?
Coincidentally, the two were convicted several times in the previous years (during prohibition) with illegal liquor violations. My guess is, they were making Boilo during prohibition then added it to their menu when prohibition ended.
I wonder if their recipe survived the generations?
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Are you certain of this? The boiling point of alcohol is around 180 degrees. Water, as we all know, is around 212.
For discussion purposes, let’s say I’m heating a solution comprised of 99% alcohol and 1% water.
At any temperature above …let’s say…185 degrees won’t the alcohol in the solution preferentially boil away?
Azeotropic rate is the point at which the ratio in solution is the same as the ratio in vapor. The sweet spot is shown below. My Chem Eng son tried to explain it to me but alas I'm struggling.
If you watched the video, she said that she went through several recipes and mixed and matched. I’m guessing that she got an old recipe that actually did use Four Roses. It wasn’t that long ago that Four Roses was a cheap a** rot gut hooch that might have been even cheaper than Four Queens. It was the drink of choice of the one neighborhood drunk, and he used Four Roses to make his Boilo. So did the non-alcoholic Polish widow next door.
At $ome point, a corporate di$tiller mu$t have bought the Four Ro$e$ name and rebranded it as a po$h bourbon to ca$h in on the recent bourbon frenzy.
Tracked down my HS buddy, Sacavage's boilo video. Simple guide for those who might want to venture in making their own batch. Link works but takes you to Youtube site.
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Anyone here enter this contest, and, if you did, did you win?? Apologies for the length only way I could link without a paywall. From Scranton Times-Tribune this AM, front page article to boot!!
When an old family recipe for boilo surfaced, cousins Ryan Twardzik and Paul Domalakes whipped up a batch of the potent holiday drink.
“We made it for the first time the week before Thanksgiving and served it at a family gathering,” Domalakes said.
The rediscovery of the recipe, a rare 100-year-old formula that includes the aromatic spice cardamom, reestablished a link to the family’s past.
“It was a connection we didn’t even know existed,” said Domalakes, 31, a production supervisor at a seed company in Pottsville.
Making boilo is an integral part of coal region culture and heritage.
Immigrant miners from Lithuania and Poland are credited with developing the brew in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While it is a derivative of the Polish honey liqueur krupnik — krupnikas in Lithuanian — boilo has a character all its own.
In her book “No Wrong Way to Boilo,” Amy Dougherty, of Orwigsburg, who writes as Amy Dee, said immigrant miners lacked the ability to distill krupnik, so they boiled a similar brew and gave it the name “boilo.”
Though it draws a snicker when people say they take it for medicinal purposes, Dougherty argues that boilo began as folk medicine, at least in part.
“Hard day in the mines? Boilo,” she writes. “Got a cold, the flu, coal dust got you down? Boilo.”
Michael Chaklos, 69, a retired Cartech worker who lives in Frackville, said boilo has always been a staple in the family medicine cabinet. His 92-year-old father, Francis, still enjoys an occasional shot.
“Boilo is the poor man’s Nyquil,” Chaklos said. “Put a shot of boilo in a cup of hot tea, crawl into bed under an extra blanket, and you’ll feel a lot better in the morning.”
Whose boilo is best?
An outsider might have thought it was bingo night at Friendship Fire Company No. 1 in Frackville on the day after Thanksgiving.
But it was boilo, not bingo, that had more than 100 people lining up on both sides of long tables in the firehouse’s social quarters.
Friendship has sponsored a boilo making contest for about 20 years.
Contestants in two categories, traditional and flavored, pay a $5 entry fee to have their boilo taste-tested by a panel of six judges. A winner is selected in each category, and there’s also a People’s Choice Award.
In repurposed whiskey bottles and large Mason jars, 13 traditional and 12 flavored boilos were entered this year.
Jason Witmier, a judge for about 10 years, said he looks for taste, color and aroma in deciding whose boilo is best.
“The most important thing, though, is that it’s got to have some kick to it,” said Witmier, 50, a New Ringgold truck parts salesman.
At home, Witmier makes a traditional style boilo, using fruit, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks.
“You have to take your time making it,” he said, “and get the spices to cook really well.”
Brian Rose’s peach boilo won the contest about eight years back, but these days he makes a pear-flavored brew.
“It might be the last year for it,” said Rose, a Pottsville resident who works in Yuengling’s bottling plant. “I can no longer get my secret ingredient, pear cider. The old farmer who made it doesn’t do it anymore.”
Parker Rose, Brian’s son, was among those who sampled small amounts of boilo, maybe an ounce or so, in judging the People’s Choice Award.
“It has to have a good, spicy taste,” said Rose, 24, a Pottsville accountant. “And it should have a nice, warm feeling going down.”
Representing a new breed of enthusiasts, Kiley Chaklos and Allison Yaneck, both of Frackville, concocted an orange creamsicle boilo.
“We boil the ingredients for about 15 minutes, strain it and add Four Queens to make a coal region classic,” said Chaklos, who says boilo is a family tradition.
Today, as Dougherty writes, whiskey, vodka, rum and even brandy are alternatives. And diehards use Everclear, a potent grain alcohol that’s not easy to find in Pennsylvania.
In the broader coal region, Four Queens reigns as boilo royalty.
“Four Queens is known as an ingredient in making boilo, a traditional Christmas or Yuletide drink in the coal region of northeastern and central Pennsylvania,” says Laird & Company, its New Jersey distiller.
A high proof spirit made during Prohibition, its alcohol content has been reduced over time. Still, Four Queens, a blended whiskey, is rated at 101 proof.
John Wahl, northeast regional sales manager, says 95% of Four Queens is sold in Pennsylvania. Of that, 40% is sold in coal region counties.
“Pennsylvania residents understand that you can’t beat the price and quality ratio of Four Queens Whiskey 101 proof,” said Wahl, who lives in Old Forge.
Calling boilo and Four Queens secret Pennsylvania treasures, Wahl stressed their interdependence.
“We depend on boilo, and boilo depends on us,” he said. “I hope the boilo tradition continues from generation to generation.”
Holiday drink links people to coal region culture and heritage
Ron Devlin / Staff PhotoWhen an old family recipe for boilo surfaced, cousins Ryan Twardzik and Paul Domalakes whipped up a batch of the potent holiday drink.
“We made it for the first time the week before Thanksgiving and served it at a family gathering,” Domalakes said.
The rediscovery of the recipe, a rare 100-year-old formula that includes the aromatic spice cardamom, reestablished a link to the family’s past.
“It was a connection we didn’t even know existed,” said Domalakes, 31, a production supervisor at a seed company in Pottsville.
Making boilo is an integral part of coal region culture and heritage.
Immigrant miners from Lithuania and Poland are credited with developing the brew in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While it is a derivative of the Polish honey liqueur krupnik — krupnikas in Lithuanian — boilo has a character all its own.
In her book “No Wrong Way to Boilo,” Amy Dougherty, of Orwigsburg, who writes as Amy Dee, said immigrant miners lacked the ability to distill krupnik, so they boiled a similar brew and gave it the name “boilo.”
Though it draws a snicker when people say they take it for medicinal purposes, Dougherty argues that boilo began as folk medicine, at least in part.
“Hard day in the mines? Boilo,” she writes. “Got a cold, the flu, coal dust got you down? Boilo.”
Michael Chaklos, 69, a retired Cartech worker who lives in Frackville, said boilo has always been a staple in the family medicine cabinet. His 92-year-old father, Francis, still enjoys an occasional shot.
“Boilo is the poor man’s Nyquil,” Chaklos said. “Put a shot of boilo in a cup of hot tea, crawl into bed under an extra blanket, and you’ll feel a lot better in the morning.”
Whose boilo is best?
An outsider might have thought it was bingo night at Friendship Fire Company No. 1 in Frackville on the day after Thanksgiving.
But it was boilo, not bingo, that had more than 100 people lining up on both sides of long tables in the firehouse’s social quarters.
Friendship has sponsored a boilo making contest for about 20 years.
Contestants in two categories, traditional and flavored, pay a $5 entry fee to have their boilo taste-tested by a panel of six judges. A winner is selected in each category, and there’s also a People’s Choice Award.
In repurposed whiskey bottles and large Mason jars, 13 traditional and 12 flavored boilos were entered this year.
Jason Witmier, a judge for about 10 years, said he looks for taste, color and aroma in deciding whose boilo is best.
“The most important thing, though, is that it’s got to have some kick to it,” said Witmier, 50, a New Ringgold truck parts salesman.
At home, Witmier makes a traditional style boilo, using fruit, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks.
“You have to take your time making it,” he said, “and get the spices to cook really well.”
Brian Rose’s peach boilo won the contest about eight years back, but these days he makes a pear-flavored brew.
“It might be the last year for it,” said Rose, a Pottsville resident who works in Yuengling’s bottling plant. “I can no longer get my secret ingredient, pear cider. The old farmer who made it doesn’t do it anymore.”
Parker Rose, Brian’s son, was among those who sampled small amounts of boilo, maybe an ounce or so, in judging the People’s Choice Award.
“It has to have a good, spicy taste,” said Rose, 24, a Pottsville accountant. “And it should have a nice, warm feeling going down.”
Representing a new breed of enthusiasts, Kiley Chaklos and Allison Yaneck, both of Frackville, concocted an orange creamsicle boilo.
“We boil the ingredients for about 15 minutes, strain it and add Four Queens to make a coal region classic,” said Chaklos, who says boilo is a family tradition.
Queen of boilo
Old timers, in what one observer described as the coal region’s “Boilo Belt,” used moonshine as the brew’s alcohol component.Today, as Dougherty writes, whiskey, vodka, rum and even brandy are alternatives. And diehards use Everclear, a potent grain alcohol that’s not easy to find in Pennsylvania.
In the broader coal region, Four Queens reigns as boilo royalty.
“Four Queens is known as an ingredient in making boilo, a traditional Christmas or Yuletide drink in the coal region of northeastern and central Pennsylvania,” says Laird & Company, its New Jersey distiller.
A high proof spirit made during Prohibition, its alcohol content has been reduced over time. Still, Four Queens, a blended whiskey, is rated at 101 proof.
John Wahl, northeast regional sales manager, says 95% of Four Queens is sold in Pennsylvania. Of that, 40% is sold in coal region counties.
“Pennsylvania residents understand that you can’t beat the price and quality ratio of Four Queens Whiskey 101 proof,” said Wahl, who lives in Old Forge.
Calling boilo and Four Queens secret Pennsylvania treasures, Wahl stressed their interdependence.
“We depend on boilo, and boilo depends on us,” he said. “I hope the boilo tradition continues from generation to generation.”
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Susquehanna Brewing Company from Pittston, Pa has just released this for the holidays, Boilo Beer!
https://www.sbcbeer.com/project/boilo-beer/
https://www.sbcbeer.com/project/boilo-beer/
Again, apologies in advance but paywall necessitates this
PITTSTON — For almost a decade, Phillip Davidson dreamed of paying homage to his Schuylkill County roots.
Now the Susquehanna Brewing Co. brewmaster, Davidson’s dream has come to life in an aluminum can.
The brewing company on Friday will introduce Boilo Beer, a spin on the whiskey-based homemade yuletide drink that’s part of coal region heritage.
A proud Pottsville native and resident, Davidson said the idea struck around seven years ago — boilo would make a “neat” beer to produce.
The idea “has been germinating in his brain since he walked through the door” nearly three years ago, Joseph “J. Fred” Maier, one of the brewery owners, said of Davidson.
“It’s just something to be very proud of, you know, where we’re from,” Davidson said Thursday. “It’s something that I would love to share with people anywhere. And also, I mean, really — this is an homage to where I come from.”
Maier describes the 8% alcohol-by-volume, gold-colored wheat ale as “fresh,” noting its fruity ingredients. They include orange and lemon juices and zests, spices, American honey and fresh ginger. In fact, making the beer required around 350 pounds of fresh-cut ginger this week alone, Davidson said.
The ale, of course, isn’t brewed with the traditional Four Queens Whiskey used in boilo, but Susquehanna Brewing otherwise attempted to replicate the boilo taste.
“We can’t give you that warmth that whiskey can give you (in boilo). So what we can give you is all of the other flavors … an homage, a reminiscence,” he said.
“You know, you might not have boilo every time,” he added, “but maybe this will do in a pinch.”
“Boilo is definitely something that was part of the holidays growing up for me, something that I passionately make every year,” Davenport said. “I take it very seriously. So when he asked me (about using the recipe), I was kind of honored.”
Davenport said she’s thus far only tried the carbonless base of Boilo Beer, and gains her approval, but can’t wait to try the final product.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m an avid beer fan and an avid boilo fan, so this is like my dream come true.”
Amy Dougherty, of Orwigsburg, author of “No Wrong Way to Boilo,” said despite the premise of her book, she never expected a beer inspired by boilo. At the same time, why not?
“I’ve tried quite a bit of (boilo); I’ve tried some crazy stuff,” she said, “so it doesn’t surprise me.”
A new tradition?The limited release is available in four-packs and cases of 16-ounce cans at distributors and at the brewing company, where it’s also available on draft.
Davidson said that, yes, it will most likely be available at distributors in Schuylkill County. And it will be up to distributors as to whether it hits any local restaurants or pubs.
Davidson and Maier wouldn’t say how much Boilo Beer will be brewed, but if sales prove to be lucrative, it will likely return as a seasonal beer next year.
The process of creating the beer has been a fun experience for both, with Maier calling Boilo Beer Davidson’s “baby.”
“Today’s customer is much more adventurous, which allows you to play and have a lot more fun,” Maier said. “So Phillip took the boilo tradition of Schuylkill County … and made something totally new.”
‘For youse guys’
Susquehanna Brewing Company has some fun in describing its new Boilo Beer:
With secret family recipes passed down through the generations, Boilo is a hard punch brewed with citrus fruit, honey, herbs and spices to beat the cold, and brighten the spirits during the darkest days of the year. Enjoy this strong wheat ale inspired by the Yuletime traditions of our neighbors in Schuylkill County. Yo-dehr-bot: This one’s for youse guys.
PITTSTON — For almost a decade, Phillip Davidson dreamed of paying homage to his Schuylkill County roots.
Now the Susquehanna Brewing Co. brewmaster, Davidson’s dream has come to life in an aluminum can.
The brewing company on Friday will introduce Boilo Beer, a spin on the whiskey-based homemade yuletide drink that’s part of coal region heritage.
A proud Pottsville native and resident, Davidson said the idea struck around seven years ago — boilo would make a “neat” beer to produce.
The idea “has been germinating in his brain since he walked through the door” nearly three years ago, Joseph “J. Fred” Maier, one of the brewery owners, said of Davidson.
“It’s just something to be very proud of, you know, where we’re from,” Davidson said Thursday. “It’s something that I would love to share with people anywhere. And also, I mean, really — this is an homage to where I come from.”
Maier describes the 8% alcohol-by-volume, gold-colored wheat ale as “fresh,” noting its fruity ingredients. They include orange and lemon juices and zests, spices, American honey and fresh ginger. In fact, making the beer required around 350 pounds of fresh-cut ginger this week alone, Davidson said.
The ale, of course, isn’t brewed with the traditional Four Queens Whiskey used in boilo, but Susquehanna Brewing otherwise attempted to replicate the boilo taste.
“We can’t give you that warmth that whiskey can give you (in boilo). So what we can give you is all of the other flavors … an homage, a reminiscence,” he said.
“You know, you might not have boilo every time,” he added, “but maybe this will do in a pinch.”
Neighbor’s recipe, approval
Davidson credits his neighbor and fellow Schuylkill County native Laura Davenport for the boilo recipe he incorporated into Boilo Beer. She, in turn, credits her father, Paul Noon, of Ashland.“Boilo is definitely something that was part of the holidays growing up for me, something that I passionately make every year,” Davenport said. “I take it very seriously. So when he asked me (about using the recipe), I was kind of honored.”
Davenport said she’s thus far only tried the carbonless base of Boilo Beer, and gains her approval, but can’t wait to try the final product.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m an avid beer fan and an avid boilo fan, so this is like my dream come true.”
Amy Dougherty, of Orwigsburg, author of “No Wrong Way to Boilo,” said despite the premise of her book, she never expected a beer inspired by boilo. At the same time, why not?
“I’ve tried quite a bit of (boilo); I’ve tried some crazy stuff,” she said, “so it doesn’t surprise me.”
A new tradition?The limited release is available in four-packs and cases of 16-ounce cans at distributors and at the brewing company, where it’s also available on draft.
Davidson said that, yes, it will most likely be available at distributors in Schuylkill County. And it will be up to distributors as to whether it hits any local restaurants or pubs.
Davidson and Maier wouldn’t say how much Boilo Beer will be brewed, but if sales prove to be lucrative, it will likely return as a seasonal beer next year.
The process of creating the beer has been a fun experience for both, with Maier calling Boilo Beer Davidson’s “baby.”
“Today’s customer is much more adventurous, which allows you to play and have a lot more fun,” Maier said. “So Phillip took the boilo tradition of Schuylkill County … and made something totally new.”
'For youse guys'
‘For youse guys’‘For youse guys’
Susquehanna Brewing Company has some fun in describing its new Boilo Beer:
With secret family recipes passed down through the generations, Boilo is a hard punch brewed with citrus fruit, honey, herbs and spices to beat the cold, and brighten the spirits during the darkest days of the year. Enjoy this strong wheat ale inspired by the Yuletime traditions of our neighbors in Schuylkill County. Yo-dehr-bot: This one’s for youse guys.
Their Pumpkin Ale is excellent. I'll have to give this a shot.
Youse guys should check dem out.
Boilo remains a strong coal region tradition
A generations-old tradition remains strong - in pride and in alcohol content. The holiday staple known as boilo brings people in the coal region together to try each other’s variations of the spiced whiskey drink and celebrate their heritage.
www.wvia.org
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