Every distiller knows that while a spirit is maturing in the barrels, some will be taken by the angels. Yet one maker of metal barrels is convinced he put an end to this folklore and keep that booze for his clients. It would put a hitch in his plans for wealth if the Angels were real and decided to pull him into their ranks for his pique… -- Deathshead419
There's a reason why people leave bread and milk for the fairies. There's a reason why folks throw salt over their left shoulder. There's a reason why brewers let their maturation barrels grow lighter as their vintages ripen.
There are forces that must be appeased, waiting just outside of mortal ken.
Many are wont to scoff at the potential consequences. They wave it away as superstition. They insist that they know better than the older ways of tradition. They think the reasons don't make any sense at all.
Submitted for your entertainment, a know-it-all aluminium keg manufacturer, Rennard Tiyghe. He was sick of using his kegs to merely hold alcohol and transport it. He wanted to corner the market by brewing it directly. Determined to prove himself with a streamlined process. Convinced that he could turn a traditional industry into modern profit.
Rennard bought a brewery. Ordered all the oak barrels burned. Replaced them with his aluminium kegs. And then, ordered them filled with the brew ready for ageing. The old boffins insisted on letting "the angels" have their share, but Rennard quickly fired them.
"Old traditions, just like old people," he said, "need to get out of the way."
He knew what he was doing.
Right up until, during an inspection of his kegs as their contents aged, several of them exploded.
The angels will take their share, or they will take you.
[Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends! Or visit my hub site to see what else I'm up to.
Send me a prompt [27 remaining prompts!]