A Brew Fit For The Gods: Food Historian Recreates Ancient Egyptian Beer Using A 5,000-year-old Recip

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Forward by Go-wine.com: Perhaps the best beer was made in the past? "This one's for you!"

Clues to the beer-making process of Ancient Egypt have been pieced together

Involves using a mash and fermenting with yeast in ceramic vessels

Trio used ancient pots to accurately recreate Egyptian brewing methods

Food historian Tasha Marks, brewer Michaela Charles and beer expert Susan Boyle are making the beer

Three women have taken inspiration from the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and created beer using a 5,000-year-old recipe.

Food historian Tasha Marks, brewer Michaela Charles and beer expert Susan Boyle have spent six months concocting the special brew.

With help from the British Museum, the trio used ancient pots and pieced together methodology to accurately recreate Egyptian brewing methods.

Beer was an essential for labourers in Egypt, such as those who built the pyramids of Giza, and the workers were provided with a daily ration of more than 10 pints.

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Beer made in the style of the Ancient Egyptians using a 5,000-year-old recipe. Food historian Tasha Marks, brewer Michaela Charles and beer expert Susan Boyle have spent six months concocting the special brew +5
Beer made in the style of the Ancient Egyptians using a 5,000-year-old recipe. Food historian Tasha Marks, brewer Michaela Charles and beer expert Susan Boyle have spent six months concocting the special brew

HOW ARE THEY MAKING ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BEER?
Three women with knowledge and expertise of Ancient Egypt and beer making are recreating a 5,00-year-old recipe.

Miss Charles, who is head brewer at east London brewery AlphaBeta, used a hymn to Ninkasi, the Eqyptian Goddess of Beer, for guidance.

Their research revealed that a 'mash' was made b brewers in Ancient Egypt and strained through a cloth.

Images from the ancient culture reveal brewers did this 5,000 years ago and the researchers replicated the method using authentic materials and vessels.

They made a two-stage mash which ferments in a vessel filled with some yeast culture.

The Ancient Egyptian process uses grain in cold water, and separately in hot water, which is combined to ferment.

Ms Marks explained that the Ancient Egyptians produced and consumed vast quantities of beer.

She said: 'Beer was so essential it was treated principally as a type of food.

'It was consumed daily and in great quantities at religious festivals and celebrations.

'Beer was an essential for labourers, like those who built the pyramids of Giza, who were provided with a daily ration of more than 10 pints.

'Yet it still had divine status, with several gods and goddesses associated with beer.'

Miss Charles, who is head brewer at east London brewery AlphaBeta, used a hymn to Ninkasi, the Eqyptian Goddess of Beer, for guidance.

The technique is far simpler than modern brewing methods.

Miss Marks said: 'In the British Museum's Egyptian galleries, you can see models excavated from tombs which show wooden figures of brewers straining mash through a cloth into ceramic vessels.

'This visual clue led us to use a two-stage mash, which we then left to ferment in a vessel containing a harvested yeast culture.

'The advantage of a two-stage mash is its simplicity.'

By Joe Pinkstone
August 12, 2019
Source: Dailymail.co.uk