Reviving the Lost Brew: Czech Scientists and Microbrewery Unearth Ancient Celtic Beer Recipe
In a groundbreaking collaboration, a boutique brewery joined forces with Czech researchers to resurrect an ancient Celtic brew, dubbed TauriALE. This innovative beer was reverse-engineered from pollen samples unearthed at an early Iron Age Celtic burial site in Moravia.
Charles University and Palacký University scientists, along with the Brno Botanical Institute, scrutinized the pollen and identified traces of millet and distinct herbs—standard Celtic beer ingredients of yore.
Zuzana Golec-Mírová, the project’s spokesperson, revealed that the ancient brew incorporated not just flavoring agents but also natural preservatives like meadowsweet, sage, and mugwort. The surprise element? Clover. Typically not a beer ingredient, scientists speculate its presence traces back to honey used for sweetening.
Golec-Mírová noted that these culinary artifacts were often placed in graves as parting gifts, provisioning the deceased for their journey into the afterlife.
Crafted in partnership with microbrewery Lesia, the first batch of TauriALE offers modern palates a taste of Celtic history—herbaceous, bitter, and sour, a far cry from today’s hop-centric brews.
