The Ancient Chinese Beer Recipe that Rewrites History

STANFORD, Calif. — History’s earliest known happy hour might have taken place in China’s Lower Yangzi River valley some 10,000 years ago. Scientists have uncovered evidence of an ancient brewing tradition that suggests our ancestors may have been more sophisticated – and possibly more fun – than we previously thought.

The collaborative study, bringing together researchers from Stanford University, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in China, has revealed fascinating details about how ancient Chinese societies approached brewing and its cultural significance. These findings not only push back the timeline of alcohol production in the region but also suggest that our ancient ancestors may have been motivated to cultivate rice not just for food but for brewing beer.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on pottery vessels excavated from the Shangshan site in China’s Lower Yangzi River valley. These ancient containers, ranging from globular jars to cups and bowls, held microscopic clues to a sophisticated brewing operation that would seem right at home in today’s craft beer scene – minus the hipster beards and clever can designs, of course.

Professor Leping Jiang from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology notes that the twelve pottery sherds they examined came from vessels serving various functions, “including those for fermentation, serving, storage, cooking, and processing.” This diversity of vessel types suggests a sophisticated understanding of different culinary and brewing needs.

“We focused on identifying phytoliths, starch granules, and fungi, providing insights into the pottery’s uses and the food processing methods employed at the site,” explains Professor Li Liu from Stanford University, the study’s first author, in a statement.

What they found was remarkable: evidence of an early beer-making process that used rice, various grains, acorns, and lily bulbs, along with something called a “qu starter” – a fermentation agent containing mold and yeast that’s still used in Chinese brewing today.

This discovery is particularly significant because it coincides with the early stages of rice domestication. Professor Jianping Zhang from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics emphasizes that “this evidence indicates that rice was a staple plant resource for the Shangshan people.” The discovery that rice husks and leaves were also used in pottery production further demonstrates how deeply integrated rice was in Shangshan culture.

The brewing process itself was surprisingly sophisticated. The ancient Chinese brewers created their beer using a method that would be familiar to modern Asian brewers: they prepared a fermentation starter (qu) by mixing rice with Monascus mold and yeast. This technique differs from the Western tradition of using malted grains, and it’s fascinating to see that this distinctly Asian approach to brewing has such ancient roots. The climate of the time played a crucial role in the development of this brewing tradition.

“Domesticated rice provided a stable resource for fermentation, while favorable climatic conditions supported the development of qu-based fermentation technology, which relied on the growth of filamentous fungi,” explains Professor Liu.

The early Holocene period saw increased temperatures and precipitation in East Asia – conditions that were perfect not only for rice cultivation but also for the growth of the fungi necessary for fermentation.

To ensure their findings weren’t contaminated by environmental factors, the research team analyzed control samples from the surrounding soil. These samples showed significantly fewer starch and fungal remains compared to the pottery residues, confirming that the evidence they found was indeed related to ancient brewing activities. The team even conducted modern fermentation experiments using rice, Monascus, and yeast to validate their findings, demonstrating that the fungal remains they found matched those produced in contemporary brewing processes.

The Shangshan site where these artifacts were found contains 183 pits, some of which held collections of pottery vessels arranged in distinct groups – ancient beer cellars if you will. Similar arrangements have been found at other sites from the same culture, often associated with ritual spaces and burials, suggesting that these fermented beverages were an important part of ceremonial life.

“These alcoholic beverages likely played a pivotal role in ceremonial feasting, highlighting their ritual importance as a potential driving force behind the intensified utilization and widespread cultivation of rice in Neolithic China,” Prof. Liu notes.

This suggests that the development of brewing technology wasn’t just a culinary advancement but a crucial factor in shaping early Chinese civilization.

The research provides a fascinating glimpse into the sophisticated capabilities of our ancient ancestors. Far from being simple hunter-gatherers, they were skilled craftspeople who understood complex biochemical processes – even if they didn’t think about them in those terms. They were farmers, potters, and brewers who developed technologies that would shape human civilization for millennia to come.

Perhaps most remarkably, they helped establish a brewing tradition that continues to this day. The next time you enjoy a glass of Chinese rice wine or beer, remember that you’re participating in a tradition that stretches back 10,000 years — a tradition that may have played a crucial role in the development of agriculture itself.