Though Herman seemed to be particularly fond of cider, such was not always the case. As a young man, he became quite enamored with the ales and stouts of old England. Determined to make a name for himself, and make a good living to boot, he set out for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to learn the art of brewing from the prestigious Dr. Barleycorn at the equally prestigious Gorganzola Institute of the Brewing Arts. A voracious student, Herman completed the entire course of study in half the time of a normal student. Upon recieving his degree, it was expected, of course, that he begin tutelege in an apprenticeship program under the auspices of Barker Schwartz, the head brewer at Barking Dog Brewery in nearby Green Bay. This apprenticeship lasted only long enough to suit Herman's needs, which is to say, not very long. You see, Herman was a very impatient man and had no use for people whom he felt to be inferior to himself.
As Herman completed the assemblage of his resources,luck did not seem kind to him as Prohibiion came to the US. Just as he was preparing to quit at Barking Dog and strike out on his own, down came the boot of temperance upon the demon Alcohol. Herman was not to be deterred, however. In the dark of the night, he would, piece-by-piece, transport his equipment into the middle of the Tawdry Forest, where he began to assemble his "Great Foam Forge". It was then that the legends began. The townspeople began to hear all sorts of bizzare and eerie noises from high-pitched whines to ear-splitting thumps and bangs. Flashing lights of all colors could be seen eminating from the middle of the forest. Coincidentally, this marked the time when scores of children and pets began to disappear from the city, further fueling the legends, even though it was later discovered that the "Great Foam Forge" truly had nothing to do with their disappearance.
Soon, Herman completed his masterpiece. It is hard to say exactly what it resembled, but it seemed to be plucked straight from the drawings of da Vinci or from the pages of Jules Verne. Despite its rather monstrous appearance - there were lights, levers, billows, and moving parts of incalcuable numbers - Herman was soon creating the very nectars he had not long ago dreamed about. Of course, only the bravest of men dared venture into the forest, but those who did were awestruck, first by the Forge and then, as Herman coerced them to sample, by the high quality of his foamy wares. So taken were they that they often were not seen for days and days. Such was the case even with the local authorities. Even though sworn to uphold the law, this was simply one law they could not rationalize, so they turned a blind eye to Herman's growing enterprise. Their MIA status only tended to fuel the legend more. It was even said that one of the key ingredients of Herman's libations was .......