A Toast to Ninkasi

For the majority of history we have women to thank for everything brewed! Due to the fact that the process of making beer was adjacent to baking bread, it was often carried out in the same place by the same people. This meant that across many different countries and cultures the women in charge of baking were also in charge of brewing.

In ancient Sumeria the only female goddess that had domain over a profession happened to be Ninkasi, the goddess of beer and brewing. In fact, the oldest recipe for a beer ever found, dated to as far back as 1800 BC, was called “The hymn to Ninkasi”. However, Sumeria was not the only country to have a female goddess revered for brewing reasons. The ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor and the Zulu goddess Mbaba Mwana Waresa were both believed to have invented beer itself!

The tradition of women being responsible for the brewing and serving of beer continued in 14th century England where they were called “Brewsters” or “Ale-wives”.

While their husbands would often be the ones who were allowed to own the breweries, it was the wives who provided the actual knowledge that they would throughout time share with their daughters to further the art of brewing

So the next time you are down in Djäknen with a glass of Gränges in your hand, remember to raise it to the great women of history who made brewing what it is today!

Axel Persson, Pubhost