The Time Keeper's Brew
Bran Jager was known throughout the county for his passion for brewing. But as he tidied the local tavern one late night, he found an odd sight indeed: a slumped-over Time Keeper, face planted on the bar, a $TIME watch dangling precariously from his wrist. The Keeper had boasted all evening about “correcting anomalies,” but apparently he’d discovered a rather modern anomaly: the tavern’s strongest ale.
Bran glanced around. No one else noticed. Surely just one leap through time wouldn’t hurt, right? The watch gleamed, and temptation bubbled up alongside his curiosity about brews of ages long past. Before he could chicken out, he gingerly slipped it from the Keeper’s arm.
A hush fell over the tavern like a paused moment. Bran tapped the watch’s dial. A blinding flash later, he found himself in a 16th-century German beer hall, rowdy with laughter. Immediately, he tested the frothy, unfiltered lager from a barrel so huge it dwarfed the boisterous crowd. He scribbled notes. This was a keeper indeed!
One more jump, he told himself—just a sip from another era. In a blink, he was slurping a smooth West African sorghum brew, sunlight reflecting off clay pots. Another swirl of the watch, and he found a half-built monastery in medieval Belgium, monks quietly perfecting their blonde ale. Bran was transfixed by the depth of flavor and hurriedly snagged their secret recipe. Then he indulged, thoroughly.
By the time he tumbled back into the tavern’s present, the Time Keeper was still snoring. Bran nearly hiccuped with relief. He’d collected legendary recipes but had also discovered how much havoc a single watch could unleash—especially on a brewer’s taste buds.
The next morning, a disgruntled Keeper awoke, rummaging for his watch. Bran sat in the corner, sly grin on his face, scrawling new recipes and nursing the mother of all hangovers. “Maybe I’ll brew a historical sampler,” he thought. “But next time, I’ll do it sober…and maybe…just maybe…ask permission first.”
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