Sorghum explaination

[Cheryl in SD]

So as to not drift on the making sorghum thread, can anyone answer a question for me?

I have a collection of letters from my great aunt to her future husband. In those letters she mentions sorghum several times. She thanks him for the sorghum and talks about how her dad and brothers would all sit around in the evenings drinking from the jug. Here it sounds like sorghum is a syrup. Why would you drink it like that???

I have my suspicions but have been told (by my dad) that I must be wrong. The letters were written in the 1920s.

[Tater'sPa]

I'm thinking from the grain, sorghum beer

[beorning]

Sorghum was pretty commonly used to sweeten beverages. The syrup can be fermented into something akin to beer.

[tinknal]

I googled it. It appears that the beverage is made from the grain, not the syrup. Anhuiser Busch is marketing it to the gluten free crowd.

Of course if you fermented the syrup and then distilled it it would be very similar to rum.