Brewer: Lauminaviara'skarka, Lodak Laudan (Luminary, Mystic Apprentice)

Placing: Second Place

Hail, Honorable Brewmaster Gimili and Most Esteemed Judges.

  Firstly, allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations on the opening
of the Puddleby Brewery. It is indeed a momentous event for both our
small community and the Dwarven Militia.

  Your recent call for beer recipes reminded me of a scroll I found
while helping Edric organize his library. The worn scroll detailed a
brewing ritual that I remember from my distant youth.

  Now while we Sylvans are not as skilled in the brewing process as our
Dwarven counterparts, what we lack in skill, we make up for in the use
of magics in the brewing process. In this case, each step in the
preparation is steeped in rituals and traditions to emphasize the
earthen influences while reducing those of the other celestial magics.

  On the eve of a great battle, our bravest warriors are said to partake
of a dark, thickly headed brew, known as "Kazulna Valaloda", literally
"Dwarven Earth Magic." The drink is specially brewed to enhance those
virtues of Earth magic, ferocity, valor and strength of body, that are
most desirable in battle.

  The recipe is exceedingly simple, 1 part malted grain (barley,
usually), 2 parts of a special breed of dark hops, known to us as
Teleiflar (lit. night flame), yeast, water, and a small amount of the
spores from an underground lichen (more on that later). However, as is
the case with most brews, the real character of the beer is created in
the brewing process.

  The barley and hops are harvested during the night of a new moon, when
neither the Sun nor the Moon holds sway over the land. The grains are
placed on long, low drying racks, deep in an underground cavern to cure.

  Now, the choice of cavern is critical, as a damp cave will cause the
grains to rot, while too dry an environment will cause the grains to
cure prematurely. The caverns best suited for curing the grains will
contain a blackish lichen, who's spores will mix with the drying grains,
coincidentally helping to buffer the bitter aftertaste often associated
with similar brews.

  Exactly one month later, during the next new moon, the grains are
collected and placed in earthenware roasters. The grains are slowly
roasted in "Kiaflar" (lit. fire holes), or ground ovens for several
hours.

  The grains are ground, mixed with water from an underground spring,
and brought to a slow boil. A small amount of the hops are held back to
be added to the wort near the end of the cooking process, just before it
is allowed to cool. Yeast is added to the lukewarm wort which is then
allowed to ferment in large tuns.

  Once the fermentation process is complete, the brew is decanted into
smaller casks, which are stored in caves or other underground chambers
until the next new moon, when the Valaloda is ready for consumption.

  The dark brew is served either in earthenware mugs as a sign of
respect for it's source of magic, or in clear glassware mugs, so that
it's black colour can be appreciated.

  The common toast when drinking Valaloda is "Ator'rin!", literally "For
Strength!"
 

Respectfully submitted, *