A historical bee was recently found in northern Germany. It dates back to the German Empire Era and its chemical composition represents a unique source of insights into brewing culture of the late nineteenth century when pioneer innovations laid the foundations for industrial brewing. Complementary analytics including metabolomics, microbiological, sensory, and beer attribute analysis revealed its molecular profile and certify the unprecedented good storage condition even after 130 years in the bottle. Comparing its chemical signature to that of four hundred modern brews allowed to describe molecular fingerprints teaching us about technological aspects of historical beer brewing. Several critical production steps such as malting and germ treatment, wort preparation and fermentation, filtration and storage, and compliance with the Bavarian Purity Law left detectable molecular imprints. In addition, the aging process of the drinkable brew could be analyzed on a chemical level and resulted in an unseen diversity of hops- and Maillard-derived compounds. Using this archeochemical forensic approach, the historical production process of a culturally significant beverage could be traced and the ravages of time made visible.
The latest excavations from Abydos, which revealed the oldest known mass-production brewery (over 20,000 L a batch) dated at around 3,000 BC, again highlighted the importance of beer as food and ritual addition in early civilizations. Brewing goes hand in hand with fundamental changes in human culture and jurisprudence. As one of the oldest fermented beverages of ancient origin, the historical meaning of brewing lies in the cultural transition towards producing durable beverages from domesticated grain cultivation. To ensure the quality and bacteriostatic property of beer, the Bavarian Purity Law (1516) was established as one of the most significant food legislations of the early modern period. The transition to modern industrial brewing in the late nineteenth century was made possible by inventions strongly linked to beer and brewing research.
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