Five quarts of molasses will be put into every barrel of Spruce Beer. The leaves are used to make spruce beer. Spruce beer is also considered a traditional beverage. Its branches (including the leaves, bark and wood) were used for production of spruce beer. Leafy red spruce twigs are boiled with sugar and flavoring to make spruce beer. What instead sprung up was the development of spruce beer, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It also brews Spruce Beer for Heritage Foods (NZ) Ltd. The leaves and branches, or the essential oils, can be used to brew spruce beer. "Spruce beer" can refer to either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic spruce beer may also be made from sugar and flavoring from the spruce tree. Spruce beer originated in 16th-century New France, initially as a method for preventing scurvy. Spruce beer is a beverage flavored with the buds, needles, or essence of spruce trees. Beverages brewed by Keith included spruce beer, porter, ginger wine, and strong ale.