Beer is older than writing, older than money, and older than the wheel. It wasn't just a drink — it built civilizations. Literally. We know ancient aliens and enslaved labor didn't build the Egyptian Pyramids because of beer. Archaeologists found the receipts right at the base: barracks, bakeries, clinics, and an industrial-sized brewery. And that's just where the story starts.

History didn't happen in spite of drinking. It happened because of it.

Melissa Huston is an Annapolis-based historian and storyteller. Her husband Sam Huston is a beverage industry specialist covering the Mid-Atlantic market who has spent his career inside the world of what people drink and why. Together they're connecting the glass in your hand to the history nobody taught you in school.

A Drinking Story — when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

Sources & Further Reading

Smithsonian Magazine — The World's Oldest Industrial-Scale Brewery Found in Egypt https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-industrial-scale-brewery-found-egypt-180977026/

Smithsonian Magazine — The Beer Archaeologist https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-beer-archaeologist-17016372/

Nautilus — How to Make the Bread That Fueled the Pyramids https://nautil.us/how-to-make-the-bread-that-fueled-the-pyramids-1223483/

Atlas Obscura — Ancient Egyptian Cocktails https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-egyptians-cocktails

British Museum — Sip Through History: Ancient Egyptian Beer https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/sip-history-ancient-egyptian-beer

Princeton University — Archaeological Team Identifies World's Oldest Industrial Brewery https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/02/16/archaeological-team-co-led-princetons-vischak-identifies-worlds-oldest-industrial

Harvard Gazette — Excavation Unearths Ancient Egyptian Brewery https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/10/excavation-unearths-ancient-egyptian-brewery/

VinePair — Workers Were Paid With Beer 5,000 Years Ago https://vinepair.com/booze-news/workers-were-paid-with-beer-5000-years-ago/

The Drinks Business — Ancient Egyptians Used "I'm Brewing" as an Excuse to Skip Work https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/06/ancient-egyptians-used-im-brewing-as-an-excuse-to-skip-work/

Pass the Flamingo — Ancient Recipe: Egyptian Beer https://passtheflamingo.com/2017/03/29/ancient-recipe-egyptian-beer-egypt-ca-5000-bce/

By John Roach — Abydos Brewery https://byjohnroach.com/abydos-brewery/

Alcohol and human society have been together for at least 13,000 years.

And in that time, drinking has built empires, started wars, toppled governments and shaped the course of history.

Hi. I'm Melissa Huston. And this is A Drinking Story — about when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

This isn't Drunk History. This is something different. These are the moments in time that were directly shaped by imbibing. When beer, wine or liquor effected the historical outcome.

With me will be Sam Huston, an expert from the spirits industry, who will be breaking down what they were drinking, how they were drinking it, and where they got it from.

One story at a time, we're going to look at global politics, religion, war, sports, art and culture — through the lens of booze.

A Drinking Story. New Season starting soon. Subscribe and Follow.