What the first beers in the world tasted like. Where the first 'unfiltered' was produced 13,000 years ago

The world's oldest alcoholic beverage, beer, boasts a history stretching back over ten millennia, with its origins not in Europe, but in the Middle East. The earliest evidence of its production dates back approximately 13,000 years, making it older than both writing and the wheel.

These prehistoric brews were vastly different from the clear, filtered beers available today. They possessed a dense consistency, contained minimal alcohol, and were even consumed as a form of sustenance. While countries like Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, and England are renowned for their contemporary beer cultures, the true genesis of this beloved drink lies in the Near East.

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Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, with an annual volume of approximately 190 billion liters.

Discovered in Raqefet Cave in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa, Israel, the oldest known evidence of beer-like beverage production was identified in stone-carved vessels. Researchers from the University of Haifa and Stanford University announced in 2018 the discovery of traces of intentional grain fermentation. This "proto-beer," made from wheat and barley, likely had the consistency of a thin porridge, a thick, cloudy liquid with cereal particles, unlike the clear beer of modern times.

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The earliest known evidence of the production of a beer-like drink was discovered in Raqefet Cave in the Carmel Mountains, near Haifa, in the territory of present-day Israel.

This ancient beverage was likely produced by the Natufian culture, a group of sedentary or semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Levant region (modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria) between 15,000 and 11,500 years ago. They were known for establishing stable settlements and harvesting wild cereals before the advent of agriculture. The discovery of these fermentation vessels in a funerary area suggests the drink may have been prepared for ritual feasts honoring the dead.

It is plausible that beer was discovered accidentally. Prehistoric populations often prepared grain mashes, as raw grains were difficult to chew and digest. If such a mixture was left for several days, it could naturally begin to ferment. Early humans likely noticed the change in taste and the effects of consumption, prompting them to attempt to replicate the process. The Natufians are also credited with producing some of the earliest known forms of bread, marking a significant stage in the transition towards agriculture.

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This 'proto-beer' would have been produced approximately 13,000 years ago by members of the Natufian culture.