How The French Brewed Some Of The First Beer In History

Not far from the modern village of Velaux in Provence sits the remains of the Celtic village and sanctuary of La Roquepertuse. The site dates back to the early Iron Age and possibly even the Bronze Age (via “Celtic Culture“). La Roquepertuse is most notable for the statuary and other historical items found during excavations in the early part of the 20th century, such as a partial statue in a Buddha-esque seated position and pillars fitted with human skulls.

But as Serious Eats points out, we know that those who inhabited La Roquepertuse grew both barley and emmer, an early form of wheat. Now, there is also evidence that they were not just consuming the grains or milling them, but malting them, an essential part of the brewing process. This involved steeping the grains to coax them into germinating, then drying them in an oven, much the same as how malted barley is produced today, though likely smokier.

Though wine, today, reigns supreme among French alcoholic beverages, beer has its place in French history. In fact, notes Beer Studies, it was the progenitor of France, Emperor Charlemagne, who handed down some of the first regulations governing the production of beer and how it was to be taxed.