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Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created

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Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created

Paperback(Reprint)

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Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393356441
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,095,239
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

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.

List of Illustrations xiii

Foreword Sam Calagione xv

Preface xxi

Chapter 1 The Holy Grail of Extreme Fermented Beverages 1

Chapter 2 Midas Touch: An Elixir Fit for a Middle Eastern King 25

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 50

Meal Pairing 52

Chapter 3 Chateau Jiahu: A Neolithic Brew to Settle Down with in China 55

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 78

Meal Pairing 80

Chapter 4 Ta Henket: An Herbal Bomb for Our Gregarious African Ancestors 85

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 110

Meal Pairing 114

Chapter 5 Etrusca: A European "Grog" before Wine Surges In 119

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 140

Meal Pairing 143

Chapter 6 Kvasir: Nordic Heat for Frigid Nights 145

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 172

Meal Pairing 175

Chapter 7 Theobroma: A Sweet Concoction to Stir Romance 177

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 201

Meal Pairing 204

Chapter 8 Chicha: Chewing Our Way to Corn Beer 207

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 230

Meal Pairing 234

Chapter 9 What Next? A Cocktail from the New World, Anyone? 237

Recipes

Homebrew Interpretation 252

Meal Pairing 256

Acknowledgments 259

Select Bibliography 261

Index 273

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

"If you ever wondered what might happen when America’s most adventurous brewer and a molecular archaeologist whose love of extreme beverages extends across ten millennia begin fiddling together, this is the book for you! Great storytelling, as ancient brews live again!"

Roald Hoffmann

"McGovern’s mix of gee-whiz science and thoughtful historical context makes Ancient Brews a refreshing read."

Associated Press - Kevin Begos

"A very enjoyable book that would intrigue anyone interested either in archaeology or beer."

Mid-Atlantic Brewing News - Martin Morse Wooster

"One might assume not much Venn exists between diagrams of beer and archaeology. One would be wrong. Learning what we drank and why makes for a superb adventure. Dr. Pat—America’s foremost barstool archaeologist—is back from the trenches to entertain, educate, and quench your thirst. Pull up a barstool!"

Wayne Curtis

"Thanks to Dr. Pat’s research, beer is a gateway to discovery for armchair historians and bold homebrewers alike."

BeerAdvocate - Courtney Cox

"Of interest to home brewer and historian alike."

Wall Street Journal - Benjamin Shull

"This book is worth reading now and well into the future."

All About Beer - Jon Page

"An extraordinary, globe-trotting journey through the remarkable history of our ancient connection with alcohol."

Amy Stewart

"A very enjoyable book that would intrigue anyone interested either in archaeology or beer."

Martin Morse Wooster - Mid-Atlantic Brewing News

"Thanks to Dr. Pat’s research, beer is a gateway to discovery for armchair historians and bold homebrewers alike."

Courtney Cox - BeerAdvocate

"This book is worth reading now and well into the future."

Jon Page - All About Beer

"Of interest to home brewer and historian alike."

Benjamin Shull - Wall Street Journal

"McGovern’s mix of gee-whiz science and thoughtful historical context makes Ancient Brews a refreshing read."

Kevin Begos - Associated Press

"Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has rarely been put to headier use."

Barbara Kiser - Nature

07/17/2017
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)

Publishers Weekly

"McGovern's mix of gee-wiz science and thoughtful historical context makes Ancient Brews a refreshing read."

Associated Press - Kevin Begoes

"Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has rarely been put to headier use."

Nature - Barbara Kiser

"Good and fun. . . . Ancient Brews is an excellent example of science outreach."

Science - Martin C. Doppelt

"McGovern’s joyful treasure hunt through time is pint after pint of proof that the best beers have the best stories, and are best enjoyed with all the trappings of a feast. Alcohol, McGovern shows, is fundamental, setting the heavens in motion, stirring the souls of birds and bees alike. What sets us apart isn’t that we drink, but how—and that’s where this book shines. Because the beers themselves—and there are plenty of them—are only the beginnings of delicious tales of swashbuckling scientists, gods and pharaohs, warriors and kings, and, oh yes, the best roasted goose I’ve ever had."

William Bostwick

"[McGovern is] the Indiana Jones of ancient ales and extreme beverages."

NPR

05/01/2017
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

Library Journal

Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created

Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created

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Paperback(Reprint)

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