64. The beginnings of beer in the ancient world

Travis Rupp (1); (1) Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO, U.S.A.

Technical Session 18: Evolution of Brewing
Tuesday, August 16  •  3:30–5:15 p.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 15

This presentation will discuss the origins of beer production in the ancient Near East and Egypt in conjunction with the rise of domestication and farming. I will examine how this industry grew and expanded into the Mediterranean cultures of Greece and Rome. I will discuss how beer developed in cultures biased against fermented grains. Though ancient Greece and Rome boasted the superiority of the grape, beer production and consumption were at the core of the Mediterranean diet and nutrition dating back to Bronze Age Greece. I will also explain why the stigma against beer developed in ancient Greco-Roman contexts and how the tradition was revived and thrived after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Travis Rupp has been employed at Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, CO, for over four years. Travis’ current positions include special projects and R&D. He also serves as an advanced sensory panelist at Avery. Travis is also a full-time adjunct instructor of classics, art history, and anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has held this position for six years. Travis teaches all things Egyptian, Near Eastern, Roman, and Greek. As a result of these two careers and passions, he is currently writing a book on the beginnings of beer in the ancient Mediterranean.

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