20 July, 2005

USA & China: Dogfish Head Brewery recreates 9,000 year old beer

Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware has recreated a beer that was first brewed in China 9,000 years ago. Sam Calagione of the Dogfish Head brewery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, used a recipe that included rice, honey, and grape and hawthorn fruits. He got the formula from archaeologists who derived it from the residues of pottery jars found in the late Stone Age village of Jiahu.

The residues are the earliest direct evidence of brewed beverages in ancient China, reports National Geographic. "We can't prove that an alcoholic beverage was definitely produced in the jars - the alcohol is gone - but it's not that difficult to infer," said Patrick McGovern, an archaeochemist at the University of Pennsylvania.

McGovern, an expert in the origins and history of alcoholic beverages, performed the chemical analysis on the pottery.

In earlier research McGovern found evidence of a similar alcoholic beverage in a 2,700-year-old royal tomb in Turkey - possibly that of King Midas. He then collaborated with Calagione, Dogfish Head's president, to re-create the drink which they marketed as Midas Touch Golden Elixir.

McGovern again turned to Dogfish Head to brew up the ancient concoction from China which is to be sold as Chateau Jiahu. He says it is gold in colour with a white head, similar to champagne bubbles, and with a "very intriguing" taste and aroma.

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