From Dogfish Head:
Sam and biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern work on the recipe for a new Ancient Ale.
Join Dogfish Head Founder and President
Sam Calagione and
University of Pennsylvania
Museum biomolecular
archaeologist Dr. Patrick
McGovern on a heady tour of
New and Old World traditions
of fermented beverage-making,
including the possible
beginnings of distillation in
pre-Hispanic times in Mexico.
The pair, whose World Science
Festival session is 7-8:30 p.m.
May 28 at Liberty Hall of the
Ace Hotel in Manhattan, will
be discussing and tasting their
first Ancient Ale (Midas
Touch,) their most ancient
chemically attested re-creation
from China (Chateau Jiahu),
and a Nordic “grog”
(Kvasir). They then travel to
the New World to sample a
modern interpretation of an
Archaic-period beverage: a
naturally fermented “pulque.”
They’ll also discuss the earliest
distilled beverage in the
world, a “mezcal” distilled
from the pulque.
“Early humans, who arrived from east Asia across the Bering Strait, were chewing
on and probably making naturally fermented beverages from New World plants
including agave, hog plum, chile, guava, maize prickly pear and others as early as
10,000 years ago at the beginning of the Archaic period,” Dr. Pat says.
His recent research focuses on the beginnings of distillation. Chemical analyses of
ancient double-chambered pottery jars, from burials in Colima, Mexico, dating to
as early as 1500 B.C., are now in progress, using solid phase microextraction and
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Biomarkers for agave and other native
American plants, which were likely naturally fermented initially, are sought and
compared with the results from modern replica pottery vessels in which agave was
distilled. Preliminary results suggest that agave was distilled in the ancient vessels
to make a “mezcal.” More ancient vessels need to be analyzed before it can be said
that these are the earliest distillation vessels ever discovered, predating the arrival
of the Spanish and Filipinos by nearly 3,000 years, who brought the Mediterranean
and Asian traditions of stills with them.
Armed with Dr. Pat’s chemical, archaeobotanical, archaeological and
ethnohistorical findings and more than 15 years of experience resurrecting ancient
fermented beverages, Dogfish created modern interpretations of an early Archaic
pulque and two late Archaic pulque-based spirits or mezcals.
“Combining the best research available and our access to off-centered ingredients,
we set out to create three liquid time capsules,” Calagione says. “According to
early Spanish chroniclers, the ancient Aztec god for pulque is Ometochtli.
Ometochtli means ‘two-rabbit’ in ancient Aztec, and he was often represented as a
rabbit. Pulque was ceremonially served in double-headed rabbit jars, and drunk
with long reed straws. The name stuck, and we chose ‘Two-Rabbit’ to represent
our modern versions of the ancient beverages.”
To re-create the pulque, Sam and Dr. Pat mashed and fermented a combination of
agave syrup, prickly pear, guava fruit, jalapeño chiles smoked and dried over
mesquite wood as chipotle, mesquite pods and chewed maize (compliments of Sam
and his Dogfish co-workers).
Two-Rabbit Pulque, which was fermented with a cocktail of wild yeasts, has an
aroma filled with citrus, berries, pear and jam, with hints of smoke and pepper as it
warms. The taste is fruity before notes of cocoa and nuts take over, then finishes
with a bit of heat from the pepper.
The two Archaic mezcal re-creations were done on Dogfish Head’s pilot distillery.
Using the Two-Rabbit Pulque as the starting ferment, or wash, Dogfish ran a single
pass on its 200-gallon pot still. The result is a spirit with subtle smoked grains and
hot pepper on the nose, backed by sweet fruit with undertones of bubblegum and
pear. The taste is smoky up front, like traditional mezcal done over an open fire,
with a mid-palate of corn (think unaged bourbon). It finishes with a lingering sweet
richness from the corn and fruit, while a mild heat from the peppers cuts through.
Dogfish bottled Two-Rabbit Spirit at a lower 60 proof to mimic its ancient cousin,
which would have been unable to reach higher alcohol levels.
Native domesticated fruits and other natural products are to be expected in an
Archaic beverage. They provided additional sugars and special tastes, offsetting
any harsh flavors from a more “primitive,” less controlled distillation. Even today
in Mexico, all kinds of traditional fruits and spices are added to pulque (curado)
and to a more limited extent to mezcal (pechuga). By contrast, modern refined
tequila and even traditional mezcal are more specialized, purer spirits.
To come even closer to what native Americans might have created in their double-chambered jars at Colima, Dogfish then produced a second version of this extreme
spirit by further macerating and aging the distillate on prickly pear and
agave. Prickly pear and guava flavors take center stage in this second spirit, with
more nuanced base flavors. The abundant sugars from the fruit help mask the heat
of the spirit. Two-Rabbit Spirit Fruta is also bottled at 60 proof.
Two-Rabbit Pulque will only be available at the World Science Fair session and in
limited release at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Del. A
limited amount of Two-Rabbit Spirit and Two-Rabbit Spirit Fruta will be served at
the Delaware brewpub.
Details
What: Cheers to Science
When: 7-8:30 p.m. May 28
Where: Liberty Hall – Ace Hotel, 20 W. 29th St., New York, NY
Tickets: $50-$100, worldsciencefestival.com
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