I had read this 1827 letter published in The American Farmer but had not twigged to what it was saying about the water in the well being drilled by notable brewers Boyd and M'Culloch:
About the middle of May last, Messrs. Boyd and M'Cullock, commenced boring for water, in their extensive Brewery, in the south part of this city. "When they had proceeded 70 or 80 feet, they came to a slate rock, similar to that found at Saratoga and Ballston, and they have now reached the depth of 500 feet, and are still in this rock. When the auger had penetrated 130 feet, a current of hydrogen gas (inflammable air) was found to issue at the sur face, which readily ignited and burnt on applying a flame to the orifice But what is most remarkable, within a few days .the water has risen within two feet of the surface, and on tasting it, it is found very similar to that of the Congress Spring, at Saratoga. I examined it to-day. As it had been in a wooden cask some hours, the carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, had mostly escaped. It had the flavour of Congress water exposed for some time in a glass, and possessed, I think, a stronger saline flavour. It has been so far analyzed as to ascertain that it is of about the same specific gravity as the Saratoga water, and holds in combination, soda, magnesia and lime. A correct analysis cannot be obtained until the tubes are inserted, and the water obtained pure, which will probably be in a few days, though the boring is yet continued. The hydrogen still continues to issue from the aperture, and on covering it for a few moments with a cloth, and applying a flame, it burns brilliantly.
Yum. No wonder the stuff had to be 10% with masses of hopping. The brewers are covering up - or at least coping with - mineral hot springs water. Saratoga spa water has so much mileral content that you could walk on it. And their competition in 1835 are throwing in masses of table salt to replicate the spa treatment. Is that it? Interesting to note that in the 1850s the Morton Brewery and Distillery here in Kingston was selling itself as a spa treatment centre as well. Was that the trendy thing? The benefits of a trip to a hot springs spa in a bottle of beer?