Travis Rupp is a history professor at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, but he also works as a beer archeologist for Avery Brewing, brewing the beers he thinks people would have consumed as far back as 13,000 years ago. So basically, Rupp is living the life of Indiana Jones (professor by day, archeologist by night), except with beer, which might actually be even cooler.
According to a recent story by CBS News, Rupp is a homebrewer and historian (obviously) and began researching ancient beers because he wanted to know what the average dude would have been drinking in ancient Rome or Greece or Egypt…The kings and queens of these historical nations might have been drinking wine, but Rupp argues the average dude would have been gathering at the pub around a pint of beer. He uses beer as a tangible way to explore different cultures through history.
Rupp’s first beer in the series was released in 2016, recreating a beer that he believes the Greeks drank 3,300 years ago. Avery called it Nestor’s Cup. He’s made an ancient Peruvian beer, and ancient Egyptian beer, a Viking beer…There have been seven Ales of Antiquity since Rupp began brewing history. Each time, he adjusts the ingredients, trying to match as closely as possible the same materials the brewers would have used back in the day. And here’s the best part: Rupp’s beer isn’t just for history nerds. Turns out, it’s really good.
George Washington Porter is the latest, and the first American beer in the ancient lineup. It’s tough to get your hands on these historical beers because Rupp brews them in small batches and then Avery typically offers a beer dinner to celebrate each release. But here’s something fun: Avery Brewing points out that White Rascal, their super popular witbier, is also a piece of history, since it’s based on the Belgian style that was popular in the 17th/18th century.
Check out the video about Rupp below.