{"id":4974,"date":"2023-08-08T15:46:39","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T14:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/?p=4974"},"modified":"2025-07-09T12:11:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T11:11:40","slug":"beer-as-food-a-short-article-on-old-beers-and-fermentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/beer-as-food-a-short-article-on-old-beers-and-fermentation\/","title":{"rendered":"Beer as a food: a short article on old beers and fermentation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Beer as a food: a short article on old beers and fermentation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Put yourself in the shoes of an ancient relative of yours. Something like a distant grandpa, or grandma, living some four thousands years ago.<\/p>

If you were them, you\u2019d find yourself at ease with walking in the woods, and gathering some fruits and herbs for yourself and your family. You\u2019d walk for a whole afternoon, looking for a bunch of herbs of which you\u2019d know the taste, and would walk back home when pleased with what you gathered.<\/p>

We started reading this book to dive deeper into the history of beer, its properties<\/a>, and to explore some new recipes to try out\u2014not the ones we\u2019re posting on Instagram (where we pair beer and food), but rather beer recipes. Strange ones. Recipes that would make a beer feel unexpected, and taste damn good.<\/p>

Here\u2019s what we found out so far.<\/p>

Here\u2019s beer history, uses, and properties according to Buhner.<\/p>

Enjoy your reading.<\/p>

Fig. 1 That\u2019s the setting where most of Stephen Buhner\u2019s book on Ancient Beers dwells.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

A little bit of beer history<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Everyone agrees in saying that beer can be traced back through the millennia: there\u2019s jars containing yeasts and malt, and cups that were filled with beer that can be dated around four thousands years ago. You could find them throughout the West, from Ancient Mesopotamia to Scotland, and look for the oldest beer we know of: the one found out in Egypt, dating back to 5\u2019000 years ago<\/a>.<\/p>

Buhner, however, depicts a different scenario and tells us beers have been a friend of ours for the last 30\u2019000 years.<\/p>

Malt and hops are kind of a novelty in brewing. In ancient times fermented drinks were made with any type of herb and grain available. Heather was one of those most common herbs. And Mead, coming from honey, was one of the oldest honey beers ever known to mankind.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis is what a beer is at its core: a drink that comes from fermentation. Not necessarily that of malt. And through that lens, beers are a really, really old drink.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

History meets Mythology<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Reading Buhner`s book, we\u2019re learning that so many different cultures, from Native Americans to Celts, Picts and Tribal Africans, had their own stories about brewing and beers.<\/p>

All these cultures have been amazed at the magic of fermentation: not knowing about a spontaneous yeast growing on Heather and not knowing yeasts or their role at all, they believed spirits would come to visit jars filled with sweet mixtures of herbs and water. Ancient people would sing for these spirits, to encourage them to \u201cboil\u201d the mixture and let fermentation begin.<\/p>

Each culture agreed on labelling beer a drink of the gods. We like to think of our Golden Breeze<\/a> as one of those: not because it\u2019s magical, but because it\u2019s made according to the traditional recipe.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

From the tales of Odin spilling Mead out of his mouth, letting a couple drops fall to the human world, to the 100 Native American songs that are to be sung incessantly to let fermentation happen, each culture had its own rituals and stories that would link Mead, Heather and Beers to the Mythological worlds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Properties and uses of beer<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Unfiltered beer. That\u2019s the key to ancient beers. Mead was made by boiling the bee hive, sometimes with bees in it. Beer wasn\u2019t clear and transluscent, yeast and all, the drink was poured from jars into cups, and drank straight away. This made beer not only a drink, but a food: all those non-beer parts in the drink would provide vitamins, mineral, pharmaceutical<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

components contained in the herbs, and proteins.<\/p>

For people living on mostly vegetarian diets due to the scarcity of meat at the time, beer was a nutrient-rich drink.<\/p>

Even if today we don\u2019t look at beers as foods, it feels good to know that unfiltered beers are not only more natural, but better.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Regarding the head feeling dizzy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Too much beer can make your head fuzzy. We don\u2019t encourage drinking alcoholic beverages for the sake of it. However, we like pairing beer and food, using beer as part of an experience that you can share with people. Hence, feeling our head lighter and our heart warmer is something we\u2019ve all experienced, and you can bet ancient people knew that feeling too.<\/p>

Our ancestors thought of drunkenness with respect: not something to be necessarily sought out, but something to enjoy. Something that would fit bards and poets, and let them sing truly inspired songs. They would gather and hear those stories, sipping ales and enjoying the company, thanking Gods and Goddesses for the gift of that strange entity that is the yeast.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Jars would run dry and new walks in the woods, gathering herbs for brewing, would be needed.<\/p>

Our distant relatives would let those jars take care of themselves, storing them and using them the next year: dried yeasts in it would most likely make a new fermentation happen. Ancient people would call that magic, and sing so that the boiling sound of fermentation would be heard. Today we work things differently, but the poetry of the process remains.<\/p>

I guess that\u2019s all for this blog post.<\/p>

The book still has got much to offer, maybe we should talk about it again, if old beers and their history and uses is something you\u2019d like to know more about.<\/p>

If you\u2019re curious, check Buhner\u2019s Website<\/a>, or go to your favourite bookshop and look for his \u201cSacred and Healing Beers\u201d.<\/p>

Take that, read that while enjoying a light beer, something like a Pilsner or a Weiss.<\/p>

Enjoy your weekemd and your beers,<\/p>

sincerely<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

CURRENT ARTICLES<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Beyond Tradition: The Ultimate Tender Lamb Roast with Beer Recipe<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Easter Lamb Roast Recipe: No, Not the Cake\u2014The Juicy Meat!<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Irish Stew Recipe: 5 Tricks to Recreate the Shamrock Pub at Home<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Festive Carnival Flavors: The Classic Basel Soup Recipe<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
From the Alps to Your Table: Crafting the Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
A Toast to Tradition: Authentic Tiramisu Recipe<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Read 0 times |<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEntdecken Sie unseren Kochkurs mit Bier! <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Malz und Hopfen sind eine Art Novum beim Brauen. In ancient times, fermented beverages were made with all available herbs and types of grains. Erikakraut was one of the most commonly used herbs. And mead, made from honey, was one of the oldest honey beers that humanity ever knew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brewing-en","category-uncategorized-en"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/51a3864ed3ad604d2340c3f8fe249f94_M.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4974"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12975,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974\/revisions\/12975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fermento-brewery.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}