babylonian beer recipe??

[Someguyinahat]

I have read about the existence of 4,000 year old beer recipes found on clay tablets but I can't find any postings of the actual recipes themselves. Does anyone know one of these ancient recipes?

 

[Lazersgopewpew]

Doesn't DogfishHead do a whole line a beers like this?
Check them out. I think they call them their Ancient Ales.

 

[jondthechemist]

DogFish Head Brewery (actually located near where I live but not that close) is in Pennsylvania (if I remember correctly). I did a tour at their brewery and a sampling of many of their beers. They do have a line of Ancient Ales (my favorite is Theobroma!) that they received via working with anthropologists, archaeologists and most importantly CHEMISTS(Dr. Pat)! Theobroma in particular was analyzed via chemical analysis of an ancient pottery that used to be utilized to hold liquids (I'd assume it was Atomic Emission Spectrometry).

Anyways, some of them are not completely original recipes because the original recipes lacked certain ingredients that are descriptive of a beer. These brews are patented by DogFish Head brewery and therefore, I am not positive they are sharing them. However, if you are still interested, I believe the beer you are referring to is called Ta Henket (I have not found this one yet, nor have I tasted it). It matches your description and a detailed analysis of it can be found at the DogFish Head site http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occasional-rarities/ta-henket.htm

It's ingredients vaguely include: Bread, Za'atar, Doum, Chamomile, Fruit, and wild yeast.

 

[Lazersgopewpew]

Actually I think the beer you're thinking of (Babylonian) from dogfish head would be their Midas Touch brew.
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/midas-touch.htm
I'm not sure about all the ingredients in this beer but I do know it has muscat grape juice in it.

Their Ta Henket beer comes from an egyptian recipe source.

 

[Someguyinahat]

Thanks everyone

 

[jondthechemist]

Actually I think the beer you're thinking of (Babylonian) from dogfish head would be their Midas Touch brew.
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/midas-touch.htm
I'm not sure about all the ingredients in this beer but I do know it has muscat grape juice in it.

Their Ta Henket beer comes from an egyptian recipe source.

Ah yes, thank you for the correction! I got confused and thought he mentioned egyptian beer

 

[Revvy]

Actually I posted links to a lot of the research on that beer, and the recipes, in my beer history sites thread. There are links to the King Mida and Ninkasis brews on post 1 and post 5 and probably other links spread throught that thread.

 

[Theresa M Girolami]

Actually I think the beer you're thinking of (Babylonian) from dogfish head would be their Midas Touch brew.
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/midas-touch.htm
I'm not sure about all the ingredients in this beer but I do know it has muscat grape juice in it.

Their Ta Henket beer comes from an Egyptian recipe source.

Actually, the recipe is in Patrick E. Mc Governs' Book "Ancient Brews - Re-discovered and re-created.