Product Details
- Publisher: WW Norton (2018-10-02)
- Language: English
- Paperback: 336 pages
- ISBN-13: 9780393356441
- Item Weight: 266.49 grams
- Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.79 cm
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.
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.
