Gruit

Gruit is an ancient mixture of herbs and spices used in brewing beer before the widespread use of hops. Instead of hops, brewers added ingredients like yarrow, sweet gale, and mugwort to impart flavor and help preserve the beer. Gruit was popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, especially when hops were scarce or expensive. Today, some craft brewers experiment with gruit to create unique, historical-style beers that highlight herbal and botanical flavors.