In Search of Beer Variety

Three weeks ago, I read an article in The New Yorker about Dogfish Head Brewery (A Better Brew: the Rise of Extreme Beer; Nov 24th, 2008) and I became fascinated with the Midas Touch Golden Elixir. I love beer, but it's easy to go to the store, see the beer you always drink and take it home with you. But after a while, drinking Paulaner, Hoegaarden, Blue Moon, and Leinkugel's Honey Weiss gets old, boring, and too familiar.

The article mentions that Dogfish Head worked with an archeological chemist from UPenn to recreate one of the oldest brews in the world:

The historical Midas was a Phrygian ruler in what is now central Turkey. When he or one of his close relatives was buried, around 730 B.C., the tomb was filled with more than a hundred and fifty drinking vessels—parting toasts to the dead king. By the time they were excavated, in 1957, the liquid inside them had evaporated. But Patrick McGovern, forty years later, was able to analyze some residue from a bowl and identify its chemical content. By matching the compounds to those found in the foods and spices of ancient Turkey, McGovern gradually pieced together the liquid’s main ingredients: honey, barley, and grapes, and a yellow substance that was probably saffron. It was a beer, but like none we’ve ever tasted.

And Dogfish recreated this forgotten beer!

So now, my task is to find where this stuff is sold. Unfortunately, Madison, WI is the closest distributor to the Twin Cities. It is times like these that I miss living on the East Coast.

Once I find it in the store around here, I will follow-up with my own comments on this beer. It's more likely that I will have to wait until I travel back to Philadelphia to find it, but that may happen as early as Christmas. If you can find this beer, I'd love to hear your reaction!