Quha Hes Gud Malt And Makis Ill Drynk is a brief, anonymous Scots poem of the sixteenth century which praises skillful brewers and curses unskillful ones. Throughout the poem, the brewers are assumed to be female. The poem is found in the Bannatyne Manuscript.[1]
No author is named in the manuscript. Instead, the poem is given the post-script "Quod Allanis Suddart" or, in English, "So Said Allan's Soldier."
The post-script is similar to that of the poem Quhy Sowld Nocht Allane Honorit Be, which is also found in the Bannatyne Manuscript. Both poems share the theme of ale-drinking.
Quha Hes Gud Malt And Makis Ill Drynk consists of two verses. The first stanza declares that women who brew a poor ale, despite having good malt, should be damned in the worst of circumstances.
Quha hes gud malt and makis ill drynk, Wa mot be hir wird. I pray to God Scho rott and stynk, Sevin yeir abone the erd, Abowt hir beir na bell to clink, Nor clerk sing, lawd nor lerd, Bot quytt to hell that scho may sink. The taptre quhyll scho steird. This beis my prayer, For that man sleyar, Quhill Christ in Hevin sall heird.
In contrast, the second stanza wishes that skillful brewers should enjoy a happy funeral followed by salvation in heaven.
Quha brewis and gevis me of the best, Sa it be stark and staill. Quhyt and cleir weill to degest, In hevin meit hir that aill, Lang mot scho leif, lang mot scho lest, In lyking ane gude saill. In hevin or erd that wyfe be best, Without barcett or bail. Quhen scho is deid, Withowttin pleid, Scho pass to hevin all haill.