In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia

by Tate Paulette

A feast for beer geeks and history buffs alike, In the Land of Ninkasi tells the story of the world's first great beer culture.

In this authoritative but light-hearted account of beers gone by, archaeologist Tate Paulette brings the famous "land between the rivers" back to life in vivid detail. We meet not only the beers of ancient Mesopotamia, but also the people who brewed them and drank them, the places where these people lived and worked, the taverns and temples and tombs where they did their drinking, the stories they told about beer, their preferred styles of drinking, their brewing equipment and drinking paraphernalia, the gods and goddesses who governed their lives and who were also partial to a drink.

Rigorous in its scholarship, yet staunchly unpretentious in style, this beer-centered travel guide for a trip back in time offers a clear roadmap into the ancient source material for those who are new to Mesopotamia. Paulette weaves together insights drawn from archaeological remains, ancient works of art, and cuneiform texts. He uses a series of narrative vignettes and thought experiments to interrogate specific pieces of evidence and pull the reader, step-by-step, into the process of analysis and interpretation, explaining exactly what we know and how we know it.
Readers will come away with a new appreciation for the depth of our knowledge about this early beer-drinking culture, painstakingly pieced together by generations of dedicated scholars. They will also encounter plenty of enigmatic evidence that defies explanation, unresolved debates, puzzles that remain to be solved. For those who prefer their history in liquid form, Paulette also recounts some of his own experiences recreating ancient beer and provides a series of brew-it-yourself recipes to try at home.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History

392 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anytime I can sit down and read about the contributions of Assyrian people - I take it. We really did do it all.

[Carlos Dragonné · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay que ser un poco un nerd de la cocina, de la cerveza o de la historia para disfrutar este libro. Y... sorpresa. Soy de las tres. Una de las investigaciones más interesantes que, incluso, me termina empujando a leer La Épica de Gilgamesh que nunca he leído, aunque ha sido referenciada en muchos de los libros que he leído, este siendo el más reciente.

Gran investigación arqueológica y una historia fascinante de cómo la fermentación y la cerveza han sido parte nuestra desde hace, literal miles de años. Gran regalo para quienes aman la cerveza, por si se lo encuentran.

"Ninkasi, it is you who spread the cooked mash on large reed mats; coolness overcomes"

[Felicity Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the author presented to AIA on this topic, I was excited to read the book. The talk was good; the book is excellent. It's the right mix of what we know and how we know it from the academic side mixed with everyday language, humor, and questions. I especially appreciated all the times the author noted where conjecture or reasonable assumptions had been made but were not facts. I learned quite a bit about beer in ancient Mesopotamia, and was also surprised by how much we don't yet know.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deep dive into the beer culture of ancient Mesopotamia. A really deep dive. Well written in spots, it really turned into a grind at points. I forced myself to finish it and really don’t think I learned much that I wouldn’t have learned if I had quit in the first 100 pages.

If you are into the nuts and bolts of archaeology and Assyriology you will probably find this fascinating. For the general reader, it might be a bit much. Absolutely applaud the effort though.

[Comes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly, a look into the archeology surrounding beer in the Mesopotamian world which is inevitable for the period being covered. The book covers what was used in beer, how it was brewed and drinking culture in Mesopotamia with a fair bit of trying to reconstruct how it was done and what the unknowns are like with bappir.

[Dylan Winchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content wise, very fascinating and extremely well done; very thought provoking as someone who often tackles the same topics from a ceramic perspective. I do find the language a little condescending, but not egregiously so.