Ancient brews : rediscovered and re-created / Patrick E. McGovern ; foreword by Sam Calagione.

ISBN:

9780393253801

Title:

Author:

McGovern, Patrick E. author.

Personal Author:

McGovern, Patrick E. author.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

291 pages ; 24 cm.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 The Holy Grail of Extreme Fermented Beverages -- ch. 2 Midas Touch: An Elixir Fit for a Middle Eastern King -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 3 Chateau Jiahu: A Neolithic Brew to Settle Down with in China -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 4 Ta Henket: An Herbal Bomb for Our Gregarious African Ancestors -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 5 Etrusca: A European "Grog" before Wine Surges In -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 6 Kvasir: Nordic Heat for Frigid Nights -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 7 Theobroma: A Sweet Concoction to Stir Romance -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 8 Chicha: Chewing Our Way to Corn Beer -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing -- ch. 9 What Next? A Cocktail from the New World, Anyone? -- Recipes -- Homebrew Interpretation -- Meal Pairing.

Subject Term:

Brewing -- History.

Brewing -- Amateurs' manuals.

Format:

Books

Publication Date:

2017

Publication Information:

New York

W. W. Norton & Company, Independent Publishers Since 1923,

[2017]

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
663.3 MCG	Book	1	Standard shelving location	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

In Ancient Brews, Patrick E. McGovern takes us on a fascinating journey through time, back to the beginning when our ancestors were likely already experimenting with high-sugar fruits, honey, roots and cereals, herbs and tree resins to concoct the perfect drink.

Early beverage-makers must have marveled at the magical process of fermentation. Their amazement would have grown as they drank the mind-altering liquids, which were to become the medicines, religious symbols, and social lubricants of later cultures.

Interweaving archaeology and science, McGovern leads us on his adventures to China, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Scandinavia, Honduras, Peru, and Mexico. We share in his laboratory discoveries, including an early Neolithic "cocktail" from China made of wild grapes, hawthorn fruit, rice, and honey; an elite New World cacao beverage that gods and kings delighted in; and the Midas Touch of central Turkey. These liquid time capsules defied modern conventions by mixing wines, beers, meads, and botanicals together into heady, delicious extreme beverages.

For the intrepid reader, homebrew interpretations of each ancient beverage and culturally appropriate matching meal recipes are provided, transporting our senses and imaginations "back to the future."

Author Notes

Patrick E. McGovern is the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at University of Pennsylvania Museum and an adjunct professor of anthropology. He and Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Brewery, collaborated on the series of Ancient Ales and Spirits.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Anthropology professor McGovern (Uncorking the Past) continues his exploration of ancient elixirs, taking readers on a global trip through time to discover how various intoxicants were created and imbibed. McGovern and his travel and research partner Sam Calagione, the CEO of Dogfish Brewery, offer recipes for a number of these ancient quaffs. Beginning in the Cretaceous period-when, as McGovern notes, our ancestors likely discovered the wonders of fermentation-their journey takes them to the Middle East to learn about a curious Phrygian cocktail likely composed of wine, beer, and mead-and, later, to China, Egypt, and Scandinavia, among other countries. McGovern's excitement and passion for his subject shines brightly, but it's at times slowed by academic passages that read more like lectures than field reporting. Home brew enthusiasts, however, will appreciate that attention to detail, as McGovern offers painstakingly specific recipes for recreating these beverages as well as suggested dishes to complement them. Beer historians and home brewers are sure to find McGovern's work a worthwhile addition to the brewing canon. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

At a time when craft breweries are becoming increasingly prominent, exploration of ancient beers is an inspired move. -McGovern, who directs projects on biomolecular studies at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, is an ideal guide. Taking advantage of opportunities arising in such disparate locations as Egypt, China, and Peru, his team analyzes organic deposits on artifacts to determine what may have been used in these concoctions. Better still, he partners with brewers to try to emulate their products as authentically as possible. This may involve chewing grains (saliva converts starches to sugars for fermentation) or using herbs and fruits that may be foreign to American audiences. Although the narrative often meanders, getting lost in too much background context, overall, this is a fascinating work that genuinely illuminates ancient history well beyond merely recounting myths or battles. VERDICT Rich in detail but perhaps narrow in audience, this book arrives at the intersection of beer enthusiasts and anthropology fans. Recommended where culinary history is popular.-Peter Hepburn, Coll. of the Canyons Lib., Santa Clarita, CA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sam Calagione

List of Illustrations	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
Preface	p. xxi
Chapter 1 The Holy Grail of Extreme Fermented Beverages	p. 1
Chapter 2 Midas Touch: An Elixir Fit for a Middle Eastern King	p. 25
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 50
Meal Pairing	p. 52
Chapter 3 Chateau Jiahu: A Neolithic Brew to Settle Down within China	p. 55
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 78
Meal Pairing	p. 80
Chapter 4 Ta Henket: An Herbal Bomb for Our Gregarious African Ancestors	p. 85
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 110
Meal Pairing	p. 114
Chapter 5 Etrusca: A European "Grog" before Wine Surges In	p. 119
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 140
Meal Pairing	p. 143
Chapter 6 Kvasir: Nordic Heat for Frigid Nights	p. 145
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 172
Meal Pairing	p. 175
Chapter 7 Theobroma: A Sweet Concoction to Stir Romance	p. 177
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 201
Meal Pairing	p. 204
Chapter 8 Chicha: Chewing Our Way to Corn Beer	p. 207
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 230
Meal Pairing	p. 234
Chapter 9 What Next? A Cocktail from the New World, Anyone?	p. 237
Recipes
Homebrew Interpretation	p. 252
Meal Pairing	p. 256
Acknowledgments	p. 259
Select Bibliography	p. 261
Index	p. 273

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents