Tate Paulette adds bappir to a fermentation vessel while trying to replicate an ancient beer. Photo by Brian Zimerle.

While working on his dissertation about grain storage in Mesopotamia, Tate Paulette joined forces with the Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland and the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures to recreate a Mesopotamian beer.

Positioned between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, the now called Iraq, northern Syria, and southeastern Turkey was the birthplace of the world’s first cities. Around 3400 to 3200 B.C., Mesopotamia introduced the earliest writing systems, and notably, a frequent subject was beer.

Historical beer from this region was crafted using malted barley, yet was devoid of hops. Paulette suggests the use of aromatics was likely. The exact nature of the beer from this time is uncertain, with possibilities ranging from a thick, porridge-like concoction to a more liquid, drinkable version. It’s theorized that more viscous beers might have been consumed with straws to strain out solid particles.

“In the Land of Ninkasi” tells the story of the world’s first beer culture.

As for the experimental brewing project, the team worked on a beer using no hops, replicating the brewing process as closely as possible and dubbing the beer, Enkibrew, named for Enkidu, a mythological character from The Epic of Gilgamesh. The team also made a version using modern equipment and a modern yeast source. It tasted somewhat like a Belgian saison.

For Paulette, the journey resulted in a book — In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia.