New World beer styles

When I want to waste time writing about Andalusada, I don't write about wars, or countries, or heroes; I write about food, guns, and theology. This particular article, about New World beer, is one that I've been meaning to write for quite some time.

Beer isn't beer isn't beer. Czech beer is different from Austrian beer is different from German beer is different from Dutch beer is different from English beer. And those styles are going to
As a basic rule of thumb, the taxonomy looks something like this:

• Latin American beer styles (and this includes those of Hispano-Baltic Texas) are based primarily on north German/Polish beer styles, with some later adjustments in Mexico and Brazil based on royal marriages and the like.
• North American beer styles are based primarily on Scottish styles, with some crossovers from Scandinavia and other parts of the British Isles (due in no small part to the presence of New Ireland.)
• Atlantic coastal beer styles are primarily Anglo-Dutch, with a bit of crossover from Scottish and Irish styles from North America.
• The UCNA's beer styles are a melting pot of its neighbors, with the exact details varying by region.

Having said that, let's unpack how this stuff plays out.

Cider and liquor in the continental UCNA

"In Brittany," says Wikipedia, "crêpes are traditionally served with cider." Which brings us to the other important thing about foodways: alcohol.

 Iberia is part of the wine belt of Europe, and always has been. That survived the Moorish conquest (Andalusis quickly developed a pan-Islamic reputation for being lush); it survives to the present day IRL. Presumably, given that Moorish civilization survives that long too, Moorish drinking tastes are going to favor wine; there are distinct beer regions in the New World, but the UCNA's not one of them because beer is more associated with its immigrant population. And since most of the New World is not historic wine country, and wasn't until very recently, that shortage of wine (along with the shortage of fresh olives) is going to be a big feature of the New World Moorish diet. Presumably Khalwati Sufis are going to rejoice in this, which will establish the archetype of "dry wineless al-Aqsain" even more firmly.

The UCNA as wrap culture

Not all of my work is actual outlining and planning historical events. I take a lot of breaks working on Andalusada, and focus my attention on the parerga: stuff that doesn't advance the world and its timeline so much as detailing it. In particular, my authorial gaze falls on a few specific kinds of parerga: humanities, foodways, and militaria.

So on the subject of foodways, let's start by saying that the UCNA is a wrap culture.