One of Smithsonian Magazine’s Ten Best Books of the Year about Food A Forbes Best Booze Book of the Year Interweaving archaeology and science, Patrick E. McGovern tells the enthralling story of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages and the cultures that created them. Humans invented heady concoctions, experimenting with fruits, honey, cereals, tree resins, botanicals, and more. These “liquid time capsules” carried social, medicinal, and religious significance with far-reaching consequences for our species. McGovern describes nine extreme fermented beverages of our ancestors, including the Midas Touch from Turkey and the 9000-year-old Chateau Jiahu from Neolithic China, the earliest chemically identified alcoholic drink yet discovered. For the adventuresome, homebrew interpretations of the ancient drinks are provided, with matching meal recipes.

Ever wondered what Cleopatra's favorite drink tasted like? Or what the Vikings sipped before battle? 'Ancient Brews: Rediscovering Historical Alcoholic Recipes' is your ticket to a time-traveling drinking adventure! Join me, Wilburn T. Myrick - historian, brew enthusiast, and your guide to the boozy past - as we unlock the secrets of humanity's earliest happy hours. From the beer halls of ancient Sumer to the mead halls of Norse legend, we'll explore the drinks that shaped civilizations and spawned some pretty wild myths along the way. But this isn't just a history lesson - it's a hands-on (or should I say taste buds-on?) experience. I'll walk you through recreating these ancient libations in your own kitchen, using ingredients our ancestors would recognize. Whether you're a brewing newbie or a seasoned beer wizard, there's a recipe here for you. Fancy some Egyptian honey wine? Or maybe a mug of pre-Columbian chicha is more your style? We've got you covered. Of course, we'll also chat about the legal stuff (because nobody wants to get arrested for brewing like it's 3000 BCE) and how to enjoy these historical concoctions responsibly. After all, we want you to remember your trip through time! So, whether you're a history buff, a curious home brewer, or just someone who likes a good story with their drink, come join me in raising a glass to the world's oldest party trick - fermentation. Let's discover together why these ancient brews have truly stood the test of time. Cheers to the past, and bottoms up to adventure!

Ancient brewing traditions and techniques have been passed generation to generation on farms throughout remote areas of northern Europe. With these traditions facing near extinction, author Lars Marius Garshol set out to explore and document the lost art of brewing using traditional local methods. Equal parts history, cultural anthropology, social science, and travelogue, this book describes brewing and fermentation techniques that are vastly different from modern craft brewing and preserves them for posterity and exploration. Learn about uncovering an unusual strain of yeast, called kveik, which can ferment a batch to completion in just 36 hours. Discover how to make keptinis by baking the mash in the oven. Explore using juniper boughs for various stages of the brewing process. Test your own hand by brewing recipes gleaned from years of travel and research in the farmlands of northern Europe. Meet the brewers and delve into the ingredients that have kept these traditional methods alive. Discover the regional and stylistic differences between farmhouse brewers today and throughout history.

From Ancient Brews to Modern Craft: Exploring the Fascinating World of Beer is a book written by Marc Ferrari, which delves into the history and culture of beer. The book provides an exploration of the origins of beer and how it has evolved over time to become the diverse and beloved beverage it is today. The first section of the book focuses on the history of beer, tracing its roots back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. The author explores how beer was an essential part of everyday life in these cultures, and how it was often used as a form of currency and even as medicine. The second section of the book takes a closer look at the various styles of beer that exist today, including lagers, ales, and stouts. It provides an overview of the brewing process for some styles, and discusses how different ingredients and techniques can affect the taste and aroma of the finished product. The third section of the book delves into the culture of beer, examining how it has been integrated into various societies throughout history. The author discusses how beer has been used in religious rituals, social gatherings, and even political movements. The final section of the book focuses on the modern craft beer movement and how it has transformed the beer industry in recent years. It explores the rise of microbreweries and the growing interest in unique and experimental beer styles. Overall, From Ancient Brews to Modern Craft is a fascinating exploration of the world of beer. Whether you are a casual beer drinker or a seasoned aficionado, this book provides a wealth of information and insights into the history, culture, and science of beer.

This is the first comprehensive book ever written on the sacred aspects of indigenous, historical psychotropic and herbal healing beers of the world.

Raise a glass to vintage beer! Treat yourself to a tour through time with this historical collection of beer recipes from 1800 to 1950. Within these pages, you’ll discover timeless recipes, along with drink profiles, and tales of how these tasty brews became a part of the evolution of beer. Each chapter delves into a different style of beer: porter, stout, pale ale, mild ale, stock ale, burton ale, scotch ale, brown ale, dinner ale, light ale, table beer, and more, and explores the history of each style with recipes representative of different periods in time. Whether you choose to adapt the recipes to suit your palette or recreate them, you’ll bring history to life with each brew you make. Learn how beer has evolved over the last two hundred years and how you can easily recreate authentic recipes right in your own home.

Primitive beers, country wines, herbal meads, natural sodas, and more "Baudar has elevated the concept of terroir into the realm of extreme beverages, both fermented and unfermented. His book brings to life the innovative quest of the Palaeolithic shaman/healer/brewer."--Patrick E. McGovern, author of Ancient Brews Fermentation fans and home brewers can rediscover "primitive" drinks and their unique flavors in The Wildcrafting Brewer. Wild-plant expert and forager Pascal Baudar's first book, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for readers wishing to explore and capture the flavors of their local terroir. The Wildcrafting Brewer does the same for fermented drinks. Baudar reveals both the underlying philosophy and the practical techniques for making your own delicious concoctions, including: Wild sodas Country wines Primitive herbal beers Meads Traditional ferments like tiswin and kvass. The book opens with a retrospective of plant-based brewing and ancient beers. The author then goes on to describe both hot and cold brewing methods and provides lots of interesting recipes; mugwort beer, horehound beer, and manzanita cider are just a few of the many drinks represented. Baudar is quick to point out that these recipes serve mainly as a touchstone for readers, who can then use the information and techniques he provides to create their own brews, using their own local ingredients. The Wildcrafting Brewer will attract herbalists, foragers, natural-foodies, and chefs alike with the author's playful and relaxed philosophy. Readers will find themselves surprised by how easy making your own natural drinks can be, and will be inspired, again, by the abundance of nature all around them. "With gorgeous photos and clear technical details, this book will be a source of great inspiration."--Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation