john hawks weblog

paleoanthropology, genetics and evolution

Craft beers of the ancients

Wed, 2009-06-10 11:30 -- John Hawks

Scientific American reports on how Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is hooking up with anthropologists to replicate prehistoric brews:

Next week, the brewery will be bottling up the first large batch of Sah’tea for the general public—a modern update on a ninth-century Finnish beverage. In the fall, The New Yorker documented the intricate research and preparation that went into making the beer, which was first offered on tap at the brewery in May. In short, brewmasters carmelize wort on white hot river rocks, ferment it with German Weizen yeast, then toss on Finnish berries and a blend of spices to jazz up this rye-based beverage. Reviewers at the BeerAdvocate universally praised Sah'tea, comparing it to a fruity hefeweizen. One user munched on calamari as he downed a pint and described the combo as “a near euphoric experience."

It's the white hot river rocks that make it really special.

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