BOYLE – The Boyle Legion put its own spin on a 500-year-old tradition on New Year’s Day, holding its first-ever New Year’s Levee, which included hourly bagpipe serenades, moose milk and a whole lot of camaraderie in the community.
The ceremony started with a march around the Legion led by Connor Noyse of Rocky Mountain House on the bagpipes, who played a song for every hour that passed including “Auld Lang Syne”, much to the enjoyment of members and visitors, who partook in the merriment provided by Betty and Beverly Solnika behind the bar, and Janice Murphy who ensured the moose milk was never low and that everyone was fed.
The levee has a long history, dating back to early 16th Century France but has been adopted by many countries as a way to meet with the nobles, military leaders, and other high-ranking subjects.
King Louis XIV would invite high-ranking generals into his private chambers to hear about their progress, but it changed over the centuries to a celebration and gathering where the nobility would preside over the ceremony and subjects could have access to the royal. Wine, cheese and other foods were offered for the ceremonies.
As wine did not travel well to the British colonies, Canada received sour, spoiled wine to celebrate the levee, which is one of the theories as to how moose milk was created. The story goes that military leaders in the colonies would add whatever was left in the mess hall to flavour the fouled wine to make it drinkable.
Another theory is that soldiers would add whatever sweet and spicy ingredients they could find to their hard liquor. The women of the time did not care for the harsh taste, so the soldiers made it more palatable by adding cream, goat’s milk, sugary ingredients and spices.
Today’s moose milk, although the recipes are many, includes a cup of cold coffee, a cup of cream, a scoop of ice cream, a couple shots of liquor, another of coffee liqueur, and then a nutmeg or chocolate garnish — that’s for two.
Regardless, moose milk has remained a part of levee celebrations in Canada and will continue to be as the Legion plans to put on another levee next year and beyond.
