13,000 years ago, beer  began conquering the planet ...

Beer originated with the domestication or harvesting of starchy plants: grains, tubers, mealy fruits, ... Starch became mankind's primary source of food and the main substrate for its fermented beverages. Even before the Neolithic period, hunter-gatherers made fermented drinks from whatever food they could find: fruit, honey, cereals, tubers, roots and various plants. The Neolithic revolutions that took place all over the world, mostly independently of each other, fostered the development of beer itself, that is a fermented beverage made from starch. The deep socio-economic relationship between the storing of starch and the brewing of all kinds of archaic beers crystallised in this early period for all human societies.

These revolutions have upset human existence: agriculture, animal husbandry, exploitation of lands, forests and water, new tools, sedentary life, territorial logics, first cities, social hierarchies,  enslavements and conflicts. We inherit their technical and social consequences for better or worse. They have also shaped the making and use of fermented beverages among almost all the peoples of the world.

Beer continues to find a prominent place among fermented drinks. Its ubiquitous presence amongst almost every ancient cultures or civilisations, as well as contemporary peoples has resulted in a very long, rich and exciting history.

Beer has undergone constant change over the course of millennia. Its modern avatar, the crystal-clear, fizzy, cool drink, has only been around for two centuries. A drop in the ocean compared to its long history. Most of the metamorphoses of beer have been swallowed up in the turmoil of the past. Others have survived. Beer-Studies dives into this historical bubbling. To explore the many facets of this odyssey, Beer-Studies offers several approaches.

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Latest news: Fuqqa project launched. Recreating the beer of the medieval musuluman world!

The main goals of this project

Fuqqa project, the beer of the medieval musuluman world!

A 5 people team fundraises up to 3000€ to finance this project (see details). Already 2505€ (June 25th)

 

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