Revealing a 5,000-y-old beer recipe in China

Revealing a 5,000-y-old beer recipe in China

Authors:

Wang et al

Abstract:

The pottery vessels from the Mijiaya site reveal, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence of in situ beer making in China, based on the analyses of starch, phytolith, and chemical residues. Our data reveal a surprising beer recipe in which broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), and tubers were fermented together. The results indicate that people in China established advanced beer-brewing technology by using specialized tools and creating favorable fermentation conditions around 5,000 y ago. Our findings imply that early beer making may have motivated the initial translocation of barley from the Western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China before the crop became a part of agricultural subsistence in the region 3,000 y later.

Ohio: NO Bitcoins for Beer

When local businesses in Cleveland Heights, Ohio decided to promote their neighborhood as a bitcoin-friendly business district, Brian Benchek wanted to join in. But he had just one nagging question: could he accept bitcoins for the lagers and IPAs made by his brew pub, the BottleHouse Brewing Co.?

Ohio, he knew, was picky about what could and could not be used to pay for booze. Gift certificates or beer tokens were verbotten. But what about bitcoin?

So a few weeks ago, Bencheck asked the Ohio Department of Public Safety for a ruling on whether Ohioans could pay for beer, wine, or liquor with bitcoin. And late last week, the department, which enforces the state’s alcohol laws, gave him its answer: No way.

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