The Barbarian's Beverage. A History of Beer in Ancient Europe, 2004, 224 p., rel. -

Europe has a long and rich European beer-making tradition which developed independently of any traditions in the Middle-East or Egypt. A great deal of the very early history of beer in Europe can only be reconstructed from a few rare archaeological remains. However, from the seventh century BC onwards the history of European beers is told, paradoxically enough, almost entirely by those who did not drink beer, the Greeks and Romans. This book presents the evidence for beer in ancient Europe for the first time, and demonstrates the important technological as well as ideological contributions the Europeans made to beer throughout the ages. The book provides a fresh and fascinating insight into one of the most popular beverages in the world today.