Thursday, Sep 20 - Front Room
How Beer Changed Everything presented by Dogfish Head Brewery

Thursday, Sep 20
7:00 pm in the Front Room

Free / 21+

Part of Et cetera 2012: A week of art, talks, films, comedy, learning, music and more at Public Assembly. More events and info at http://etcbk.tumblr.com
dogfish.com; penn.museum/sites/biomoleculararchaeology/

Brewing is humankind’s earliest example of biotechnology, representing our first attempt to harness the power of living organisms. The craft dates back to 9000 BC, inspiring the cultivation of barley and wheat. Beer changed hunter-gatherers into farmers, and fueled the building of monumental structures, like the pyramids, whose workers received five liters of beer per day as compensation. Guided by a beer historian and a leading craft brewmaster, this session will explore the colorful history and modern science of what is perhaps humanity’s most celebrated beverage.

Speakers: Sam Calgione [Dogfish Head] and Patrick McGovern [Scientific Director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum]

MC/Moderator: Greg Boustead

Cuneiform tablet depicting beer allocation, c. 3000 BC, British Museum, London. [Photograph: takomabibelot on Flickr]