Some beers are inspired by a season. Others have a story worth telling. At Planted Flag Brewing in Medina, Ohio, Goody’s Brew brings both together: the flavors of autumn and the history of Elizabeth “Goody” Morse, a woman accused of witchcraft in colonial New England—and an ancestor of our brewery family.
An amber beer made for autumn
Goody’s Brew is our fall-inspired amber beer, crafted with a special pumpkin spice blend and Madagascar bourbon vanilla. The spices bring familiar autumn warmth, while the vanilla lends a smooth, gently sweet character that balances the beer rather than overwhelming it.
It’s a beer for changing leaves, crisp evenings, and gathering around a table with friends. But the name on the label carries a story reaching much further back than the fall season.
Who was Elizabeth “Goody” Morse?
Elizabeth Morse lived in Newbury, Massachusetts, in the seventeenth century. “Goody” was a form of address for a married woman, short for “Goodwife.” Today she’s remembered as the “Witch of Newbury.”
In the late 1670s, strange incidents and accusations of supernatural activity surrounded the Morse household. Neighbors’ suspicions eventually focused on Elizabeth. Historical accounts describe household disturbances and other events that people at the time struggled to explain.
In May 1680, Elizabeth was tried in Boston, convicted of witchcraft, and sentenced to death. On June 1, Governor Simon Bradstreet and the magistrates granted her a reprieve. The execution never took place, and Elizabeth eventually returned home, although accounts describe restrictions on her movements. Her ordeal unfolded twelve years before the better-known Salem witch trials of 1692.
Her story reminds us how fear and suspicion could shape lives in colonial New England. She was a real woman, not a character invented for a Halloween tale.
A family connection behind the name
For us, this history is personal. Elizabeth Morse is an ancestor of our family, and naming a beer after her was a way to remember a woman whose life became part of New England history.
Our son created the original Goody’s Brew label illustration, as he has for many of our beers. It’s another way our brewery stories become a family effort—from the beer in the glass to the artwork on the can.
Raise a glass to a story worth remembering
Goody’s Brew brings together smooth amber beer, pumpkin spice, and Madagascar bourbon vanilla. But the story behind the name is what makes it especially meaningful to us.
Next time you see Goody’s Brew at Planted Flag Brewing, you’ll know it’s more than a seasonal nod to witches and autumn. It’s a tribute to Elizabeth “Goody” Morse—and a piece of our own family history.
For more on Elizabeth Morse’s case, see historical accounts hosted by the University of Virginia and Historic Ipswich’s history of her trial.