[TimoDass]

The link is in a made up language.

Nice pic though.

[QiuCIOdO]

Sadly, they could not have had cheesy fries, as potatoes are a new-world thing and mammals large enough to milk (except humans, which would be gross) exclusively old-world. Alas.

[ErnestTU]

Whoops, I misread it as 2000. Stupid me. They could have had cheesy fries. I don't know when Ranch dressing was invented though.

[Adimos]

Did beer as we know it today (with hops) even exist 2,000 years ago?

[PheliarearY]

I don't think you can claim that a lack of hops makes something not "beer". It might taste a bit off to a modern palate, but it would be recognizably "beer".

[adarmaSen]

I''m sure you would. Sounds like a research project...

[raspirator]

That...isn't butter.

[DuesTyr]

Llamas too.

[giturbewan]

No doubt. The Ancient Egyptians were hardcore with their beer. The week was 11 days long. The 11th day -- the weekend -- was for beermaking.

They should have used the 11th day for beer drinking.

[!!Aaroncheg]

No doubt. The Ancient Egyptians were hardcore with their beer. The week was 11 days long. The 11th day -- the weekend -- was for beermaking.

But I don't know that we would recognize it as beer by taste. I guess you might be able to find a beer without hops in a big liquor store.

The only ones I can think of are a few makers using traditional recipes for Scots Heather Ale or Scots Pine Ale. I'm sure there are others but those are two I can think of right off the bat. Heather ale dates back to around 2000 BC according to archeological finds and is the same as beer except the hops have been replaced by the flowers and buds of the heather grass. Pine or Spruce ales were originally from Scandinavia but when Vikings invaded Scotland they introduced it to the area with the Shetland Islands being particularly well noted for the production of spruce and pine ales. Captain Cook always had quantities of Scots Pine Ale on his ship while sailing because the vitamin C in Spruce & Pine ales helps fight off scurvy.

Edit: I just looked it up and a Dutch brewer named Jopen makes "gruit beer" which is supposedly a hop free beer popular in the 14th-15th century which uses yarrow, rosemary, and sweet gale instead of hops. I'm going to have to see if I can find that one.

[Sierabiera]

Why am I not surprised that Oerdin felt the need to answer a question that I already dealt with?

[fashikn]

I gave Dan the name of a delicious American microbrew without hops that you can buy at any store with a good beer selection. How is your recommendation of a shitty Scottish pine beer better than that?