Boontling, The Language of Boonville and Anderson Valley Brewing
Atlas Obscura daily takes subscribers to obscure and fascinating corners of the world; today it’s Boonville Calif., home of Anderson Valley Brewing and the local dialect, Boontling:
The origins of Boontling are uncertain. Maybe children made the language up so they could talk to each other without their parents knowing. Or maybe it was the other way around. Some say it developed among gossiping women in the hops fields. However it developed, it caught on, and in the late 19th century a new language was born in Boonville that still survives today.
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John
John Foyston is Oregon's longest serving beer writer, and wrote a weekly beer column for The Oregonian until just recently. His work has appeared on CNN, and in Beer Connoisseur, Celebrator Beer News, Oregon Beer Growler, Mix Magazine and other publications and will occasionally appear on these pages, at least until Angelo and DJ get tired of him too...He can be followed on Twitter at @beerherejohnny.