The Oldest Beer Breweries: 4,500 Years Old

Ancient Sumerian cuneiform slates from the Middle East testify that beer was processed in the area 5,000 years ago. Beer was very popular also among the Babylonians and the Egyptians of the same period, who knew more than 19 varieties. The oldest recipe also comes from ancient Egypt.

From the Middle East, beer passed to Europe and at the beginning of the first millennium, it was consumed by the Celts, Germanics (including Vikings) and other tribes. It even entered the Viking-Germanic mythology.

Now, two archaeologists from Galway have come with a theory that one of the most common Bronze Age monuments seen around Ireland may have been used for brewing ale beer. Fulacht fiadh, horseshoe shaped mounds, are commonly believed to be ancient cooking spots.

To prove their theory that an extensive brewing tradition existed in Ireland as far back as 2500BC, The two researchers, Billy Quinn and Declan Moore, recreated the process trying to figure out how the ancient Celts produced beer in 4,500 BC.

3 hours of hard work and 3 days of fermentation were necessary to turn 300 l of water into a "very palatable" 110 liters of frothy ale. "It tasted really good. We were very surprised. Even a professional brewer we had working with us compared it favorably to his own. It tasted like a traditional ale, but was sweeter because there were no hops in it." said Quinn, of Moore Archaeological and Environmental Services.

"It was while nursing a hangover one morning - and discussing the natural predisposition of all men to seek means to alter their minds - that he came to the startling conclusion that fulachts could have been the country's earliest breweries.", added Quinn.

The two archaeologists made further researches across Europe, to look for evidence for their theory. They used an old wooden trough filled with water and heated with stones. When the optimum temperature of 60-70�C was achieved, they added milled barley and, about 45 minutes later, simply poured the final product into fermentation vessels. They repeated the process twice: the second beer was stronger and the third was "a disaster".