McGovern also will sign his new book at the event. In the book, McGovern explains the archaeological and chemical trail of ancient brews. He looks at the rice wines of China and Japan, the corn beers of the Americas, and the millet and sorghum drinks of Africa.
He and Calagione will discuss the findings at the beer event, including modern efforts to duplicate the formulas of ancient brews. The pair recently collaborated to make a corn chichi, a traditional Latin American beer.
Along with Penn associate anthropology professor and museum curator Clark Erickson, they chewed Peruvian purple corn and basically spit it out. The natural enzyme in human saliva breaks down the starches into sugar, which is then used in fermenting beer.
It's then sterilized by boiling.
All three of the re-created ancient ales from Dogfish - Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, and Theobroma, plus a surprise beverage - will be served at this event.
Dock Street Brewery's sorghum Sudan Grass and Williams Brothers Brewing Co.'s Fraoch Heather Ale and Alba Scots Pine Ale also will be served. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be available, too.
"Uncorking the Past," 6 p.m. Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St. Tickets: $60 advance, $45 for Penn Museum members; at the door, $75. Must be 21 to attend. Tickets can be purchased online at the Museum's Web site, www.penn.museum, or at www.penn.museum/uncorking. Information: 215-898-4001.
Contact staff writer Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@phillynews.com.
