Old German. Also grut , gruyt or gruitrecht. Herbal blend used in middle age, before the introduction of hops, to aromatize and conserve beer, especially in the north and Central Europe. When the brewing came out of the abbeys the brewers had to buy the mixture from the nobles and municipalities as a tax. The mixture contained artemis, myrtle, millenrama, marrubio, heather, juniper berries, cumin, rosemary, sage, liquorice, and even wormwood and beleño, according to the zones.