Resurrecting Ancient Brews

It sounds like a dream job for some but researching ancient beer recipes is no easy task. Smithsonian magazine profiles Professor Patrick McGovern (known as "Dr. Pat" by Dogfish Head Brewery owner Sam Calagione) and his quest to discover clues about extinct civilizations through the libations they imbibed.

In between excavations and his archaeology research, McGovern has found time to collaborate with Calagione on five different beers, all inspired by ancient civilizations. Check out the slideshow below to learn more about these traditional-yet-modern brews.

1 of 5

Midas Touch

1 of 6

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Midas Touch, available year-round, is made from an ancient Turkish recipe that is the "actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world." It tastes somewhere between wine, beer and mead and has won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, another gold at the International Mead Festival, and a silver at the World Beer Cup.

Cockroach In McDonald's Hash Browns: Man Claims To Find Deep-Fried Bug (Mealbreakers)

Chefs Love Democrats? The Top 15 Chef Political Donations

Polar Seltzer Releases Summer Flavors: Mint Mojito, Ginger Lemonade And More

10 Facts About Beer (VIDEO)

'Stealth' Starbucks: Unbranded Store To Open In Macy's

James Carville, Mary Matalin Shill For Maker's Mark In New Ad (VIDEO)

Midas Touch, available year-round, is made from an ancient Turkish recipe that is the "actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world." It tastes somewhere between wine, beer and mead and has won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, another gold at the International Mead Festival, and a silver at the World Beer Cup.

comments(31)

Total comments: 31 | Post a Comment

1 of 6

To learn more about the brews, see Dogfish Head's full rundown here. To learn more about McGovern's work, check our Smithsonian magazine's piece here.

Comments

[Greatest Darthfruit]

03:12 PM on 06/30/2011

Theobroma for me. If there is chocolate involved I want it!!

[TONYSbabe4]

07:44 PM on 06/29/2011

I THOUGHT the guys WERE drinking an "Ancient Brew" called STELLA when we lived in Egypt from 1979 - 1988!!! OOPS...

[HomeGrower]

06:43 PM on 06/29/2011

Randwers57.....I couldnt agree more. As a homebrewer (i wanted homebrewer as my name but it was already taken) of over 150 batches....I can make beer some really great beer. Those big breweries never get any of my money. If I'm out I always get a micro beer. Dog Fish does make some really good beers. Their IPA (Indian Pale Ale) is outstanding...if you like hoppy beer. Could talk all night about brewing but......

One thing the right and left can agree on....great homebrewed beer. YEAH

[bigblocks]

07:21 PM on 06/29/2011

HomeGrower it's funny that you brought up Dog Fish IPA, I just tried this last night. It is good if you like a hoppy beer, just a little bit much for me. But never the less other than the hoppyness of it, it is a good tasting beer.

[hedonistnutritionist]

01:20 AM on 06/30/2011

Great point, homebrewer! Beer will unite us all! I have had some homemade nettle beer made by our local herbalists. Fantastic!

[HomeGrower]

08:50 AM on 06/30/2011

I've never heard of nettle beer. Do you know more about it; ingredients, type of yeast, etc?

[infrwksnj]

06:02 PM on 06/29/2011

Jeeze, I bet they taste lousy after all this time.

[bigblocks]

07:30 PM on 06/29/2011

I just tried Midas Touch last night. It's a cloudy looking dry beer, taste is pretty good. But it's just too sweet for me.

[ecotopian]

10:53 PM on 06/29/2011

Try that beer when the temperature is really high with some meat and bread. It's was made for weather and food like that.

[dekendall]

05:32 PM on 06/29/2011

I wonder if there were laws against driving a chariot under the influence.

[rich3324]

11:39 AM on 06/30/2011

If you got arrested you could send one runner to get your daddy or your mummy.

[sugarcreekchile]

05:03 PM on 06/29/2011

They aren't making ancient beer but modern replications. By not using the same ingredients but modern substitutes or the actual ancient brewing process, they are not making an ancient beer but a product based on ancient recipes.

[randers57]

04:30 PM on 06/29/2011

Being a history buff I think These so called ancient beer recipes have to be gimmick for the brewers. Consider this, Beer in those days was made mostly because the water was bad. I beleive the alcohol and the fact that it would give you a buzz was coincidental but it was passable as beer you could drink it and not get sick. As with anything after they drank it for a while they got use to the taste and they probably thought it was good. Our taste for beer became refined. Really good beer did not come along until centurys later after the brewing had been perfected and beer drinkers wanted something more then a buzz from sterilized water. Today we are blessed with the finist beer mankind has ever know and we can get it from around the world. I would bet a pay check that these old recipes are not the Holy Grail of beer making, not that they aren't good but I bet beer has never been better then it is right now.

[dauphin]

06:51 PM on 06/29/2011

Beer used to be called "liquid bread". It is posited that civilization was founded on agriculture when women learned that men would stay around if you stuck old bread in water and let it ferment for a few days. The resulting "brew" then could be filtered and drunk causing a dizzying effect in the imbiber. In ancient Egypt they used a licorice flavored herb that was very fibrous to make some of these filters. It added extra flavor to the "beer".

[jsgaetano]

07:42 PM on 06/29/2011

It wasn't made because water was bad, it was made because they couldn't transport water supplies long distances, because THAT would cause it to go bad. Alcohol does a great job killing bacteria, and gets people drunk, so it's a win-win.

[ecotopian]

11:07 PM on 06/29/2011

Well, you're both right. Kids used be given what is called "small" beer because it didn't have any alcohol and it was considered safe to drink. They didn't know back then it was because the water had been boiled that it was safe to drink, not because it was beer.

[cavekarst]

04:16 PM on 06/29/2011

I've actually had one of the Dogfish Products.
I'm keeping the bottlecap. Don't ask me why.

[chrpartyboy]

02:39 AM on 06/30/2011

Did the same :)

[candyazzbb]

03:58 PM on 06/29/2011

mmmm chocolate beer.. but no thanks on the pre-chewed chicah no thanks!

[Justmetootles]

02:52 PM on 06/29/2011

When I read the caption about ancient beer being brewed again we got excited! We thought they were making "Beer" beer again!

[frankerin]

03:06 PM on 06/29/2011

Many things can ferment, and peoples without wheat, corn, barley or even rice, had to work on other things. The modern taste might try such if offered once, but won't go back twice. Alcohol was the need, and drinkers will drink whatever has it. If something tastes good or to their likeing they will move to it. Otherwise they drink what they can get, today including medicines

[dauphin]

04:16 PM on 06/29/2011

I'm still waiting for kumis, horse milk liquor, from the steppes of Mongolia. It is still drunk in parts of the world.

[randers57]

04:41 PM on 06/29/2011

Question: Do you think that beer was better back then or now? just asking. I am guessing that modern may be a little weaker or a lot but taste wise modern beer taste better.

[Justmetootles]

04:52 PM on 06/29/2011

I would have to say it probably tastes better. My grandfather used to make his own home brew back in the 50's and 60's and it was some pretty potent stuff. One time the whole batch blew the caps off and beer was running down out of the garage and down the gutter in the street. Oops!:)