Brewing Through Time
Our journey into history begins with one of humanity’s greatest accidental discoveries: beer. 🍺 Long before breweries, taps, and frothy pints, beer found its origins in the Neolithic era. It’s believed that the first beers came about when porridge or grain mash—malted for other uses—was left sitting too long, and nature worked its fermentation magic.
By 2000 BCE, brewing was no accident during the rise of Mesopotamian civilization; it was a highly skilled craft. The Sumerians, some of the earliest known brewers, documented their beers with precision. Their texts reference eight barley beers, eight emmer beers, and three mixed beers—the latter being the focus of today’s exploration.
The Sacred Brew of the Sumerians
Brewing wasn’t just about quenching thirst; it was sacred business. The Sumerians knew that the grains they brewed with—barley and wheat—were essential to their survival and prosperity. So much so that they attributed the art of brewing to a goddess, Ninkasi, who was celebrated in an epic hymn around 1800 BCE.
But this hymn wasn’t just a spiritual ode—it doubled as a brewing recipe. Modern historians and brewers have deciphered it, recreating the ancient method. Cathy K. Kaufman, in her book Cooking in Ancient Civilizations, shares the steps to craft this barley-and-wheat beer, offering us a taste of ancient ingenuity.
How the Sumerians Brewed
The process begins with malting wheat berries, followed by combining them with water, yeast, date syrup, and a fermented loaf of par-cooked barley dough. The brewing process takes about a week and produces a mild, pale beverage with only 2% alcohol.
The flavor? Think of it as an earthy, barley cider—a far cry from today’s IPAs or stouts, but still a satisfying brew that powered a civilization.
Singing While Brewing
The Sumerians didn’t just brew—they celebrated the process. The hymn to Ninkasi was likely sung as they worked, a rhythmic ritual that connected them to the divine and ensured the success of their brew.
So, why not try brewing like the Sumerians? Dive into history, experiment with ancient methods, and sip on the drink that helped build one of humanity’s earliest civilizations. Just don’t forget to hum a tune while you work—it’s tradition, after all.
THE HYMN TO NINKASI
Born of the flowing water,
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,
Borne of the flowing water,
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,
Having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished its great walls for you,
Ninkasi, having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished it’s walls for you,
Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.
Ninkasi, your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.
You are the one who handles the dough [and] with a big shovel,
Mixing in a pit, the bappir with sweet aromatics…
You are the one who bakes the bappir in the big oven,
Puts in order the piles of hulled grains…
Ninkasi, you are the one who waters the malt set on the ground,
The noble dogs keep away even the potentates…
You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,
The waves rise, the waves fall….
You are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes,
Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes…
You are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort,
Brewing [it] with honey [and] wine
The filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on a large collector vat.
When you pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.
Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.
Cheers to history in a glass! 🍻
