Craft Second-Temple-era beer

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Wheat Feat Jerusalem Brewery Produces Second Temple-era Beer. The small Herzl Brewery has created a brew that’s as close as possible to an ancient strain of wheat, making it dry, syrupy and a very acquired taste (Nir Hasson, Haaretz).

In Jerusalem’s Talpiot industrial zone, amid the carpentry shops and tire repair garages, a small boutique brewery produces a beer called Herzl. One of the owners, Itai Gutman, 31, occasionally adds his own innovations to the standard beer recipes. For example, he recently managed to brew a beer from a heritage grain – a wild plant that’s as possible to the 2,000-year-old wheat from which modern wheat developed. Presumably, therefore, this brew comes closest to the ancient beer that was consumed after man learned how to ferment grain.

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We can assume that Gutman’s beer is similar to the ancient beer consumed thousands of years ago. It’s 3 percent alcohol – a bit lower than modern-day wheat beer – and is rather dark and thick. And the taste? Well, it's a stretch to say it tastes good, but it’s definitely interesting.

“It’s unlike anything I have ever tasted,” nods Gutman. “From my viewpoint, as a person who has tried to hone his sense of taste, it was a surprise. It has a very dry taste, but it also has a strong aroma and suggestion of red fruit – almost like a syrup.”

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For background on ancient Near Eastern and ancient Israelite beer and efforts to resurrect them, see here and follow the links.