ETNEWS DRAFT 14 2/7/13 2:46 PM Page 14

etnew 15 draft_ETNEWS DRAFT 14 2/7/13 2:46 PM Page 14 The Brewing of developed, reflecting what might have been available in ancient Etruria, to Etruscan Beer achieve a suitably high alcohol content Jane Whitehead of 8.5%. for Etruscan tastes The three breweries released their A collaboration between Dogfish individual versions of Birra Etrusca in Head Craft Brewery in Delaware and the past two months. They fermented two microbreweries in Italy--Birra del their brews in vats made of different Borgo and Birra Baladin-- has led to the materials, again partly based on the brewing of an early Etruscan “grog,” ancient evidence. Dogfish suspended the Italian version of a mixed beverage bronze plates down into the vats to sim - that was common throughout Europe ulate a bronze vessel, Birra del Borgo before the introduction of grape wine. had a local potter replicate jars in By combining a variety of clues ancient Etruscan design, and Birra (archaeological, archaeobotanical, and Baladin used wooden barrels, which are chemical) from well-preserved tombs, only attested much later but which dated ca. 800-700 BC, at Carmignano, would certainly not have been beyond Verucchio, and elsewhere, a wheat and the expertise of Etruscan carpenters in barley brew, in accord with the later locally available fruits. including hazel - vessels, one may propose that they were earlier periods. Each fermenter imparts drink from Pombia (below), is envi - nuts, apple, and wild grape. Many of additives to the “grog.” an additional special character to each sioned. Other ingredients might have these ingredients are especially well- Birra Etrusca, as it has been dubbed by beverage. (Terracotta fermentation vat ). included honey, pine resin or myrrh, and attested in Tomb B at Prato Rosello the brewers, tries to do justice to all the where the cremated remains of a war - varied lines of ancient evidence. It rior prince were buried inside a biconi - includes two-rowed barley, an heirloom cal krater (left ) together with other Italian wheat, pomegranate juice, bronze Orientalizing vessels from raisins, hazelnut flour, chestnut and Casale Marittimo/Casa Nocera, (phiales wildflower honey, myrrh, and a touch of and more exotic types), also containing hops (in keeping with the Pombia evi - these same types of contents. Of dence). A special “heirloom yeast”—a course, these natural products might cross between a native Saccharomyces simply have served as tomb offerings, cerevisiae from Vin Santo and S. but when they are found inside drinking bayanus from Montalcino grapes—was Ancient Italic Beer al kernels with the addition of vegetal aromas; in short, a high alcohol content The archaeological finds dark beer. at Pombia (NO) The Pombia find not only provides Filippo Maria Gambari the earliest European evidence for beer Soprintendenza beni archeologici del of a high alcoholic content but actually Piemonte predates the use of hops as a flavoring for beer. Even today, hops grow wild Recently, a remarkable archaeological in the moors of the Ticino between discovery has provided new informa - Pombia and Castelletto and is still tion on beer production in protohistoric used, locally as a flavoring for risotto, Piedmont. In the proto-Celtic environ - according to a recipe described by Pliny ment of the Golasecca culture, in a the Elder. Impasto Urn with ashes and Beaker, Tomba 11. Necropoli small necropolis of cremation burials at In 550 B.C the proto-Celtic popula - Pombia, a pozzo tomb dating back to contents at discovery, Tomba 11. Golasecchiana, Pombia. Novara. tions, long before the invasion of the around the mid-sixth century BC Gauls, drank a beer at Pombia that was retained such special microenvironmen - very similar to some of our modern tal conditions that it provided an excep - strong beers. It was dark and reddish tional discovery. The ashes of the like the cervisia described by classical deceased, an adult male, had been sources: quite well filtered, made from removed from the funeral pyre and a variety of cereals and served in a con - placed in a small urn. This terracotta tainer with a wide mouth that made it cinerary urn and its cover were intact easy to pour off the foam. The deceased, and created an almost watertight seal who lived in a farming area around the after burial in a fine clay soil. An proto-urban settlement of Castelletto impasto beaker full of liquid (about 18 Ticino, evidently liked it better than cl), was placed inside the urn over the wine, which was quite available in the Humulus lupulus (hops). Pozzetto tomb 11 as found. ashes, and preserved some of the con - sixth-century Golasecca culture, but tents. Precipitated residue from fermented mented a percentage of over 90% of tree which was probably often mediocre, so At the time of the discovery, the con - sugars left no doubt about the nature and cereal pollens as well hops. It was that he prefered beer as his last drink tents had become a bright brownish-red of its contents. Its color led us to think clear that this was the remains of a bev - and took it with him to the afterlife. crust weighing about one gram. of wine, but the pollen analysis docu - erage obtained by fermentation of cere - (photos MIBAC) Page 14.

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