Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation [Paperback]

Stephen Harrod Buhner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 1998

This is the first comprehensive book ever written on the sacred aspects of indigenous, historical psychotropic and herbal healing beers of the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Filled with nourishment for the soul, body, and mind, this book is a unique view of the intersection between herbal medicine and fermentation. It will delight anyone interests in herbs, honey, brewing and folktales. Great Book! -- Susan S. Weed, Author of Healing Wise

From the Back Cover

Fermentation and plant use--as medicine, as psychotropics, as teachers, as companions on life's path--are an inescapable part of our exploration of what it means to be human. Thus, this book conflicts with a number of popular beliefs about alcohol, plants, and the nature of material reality. It is, therefore, not politically correct.

. . . The ancient beers, created . . . between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago, were quite different from what we know as beer today. Many were sacred beers, and hundreds contained medicinal herbs.--From the book

The author's beautiful and provocative exploration of the sacredness and folklore of ancient fermentation is revealed through 200 plants and hive products. Includes 120 recipes for ancient and indigenous beers and meads from 31 countries and six continents--and the most complete evaluation of honey ever published.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Brewers Publications; First Edition edition (September 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937381667
• ISBN-13: 978-0937381663
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Beer

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting recipes, great herbal info, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation (Paperback)

I find this book fascinating! Months after buying it, I find myself sitting down to look for a recipe to try, and spending hours reading the historical and herbal notes. Never would have expected the best herbal I own to be a beer book! There is also information on the religious practices of early Celts and Norwegians as they relate to the use of herbs, as well as lots of information on the spiritual use of herbs by modern traditional peoples.

As for the beers themselves, Buhner takes a relaxed attitude. Indigenous people make beer without fancy equipment, and we can too. What matters most is what tastes good to us--which means we have to do a lot of experimenting! There are lots of recipes to try here, from the Middle Ages up to the present. But the choice is not as wide as it first looks, because not all of the ingredients are easily available. If you get into this, the next book you'll want may be "The Brewer's Garden."

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Wonderful Book!, May 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation (Paperback)

I had heard about older brewing, beers before 1500 almost never used hops, and was lucky enough to come upon this book when trying to find out more. Wow! What a book. I read many beers books - how boring they are! Most brewing books are as dry and bitter as the beers they describe - a certain prescription for sleep (again, like the beers they describe). But not this one. There is great poetry and magic in this book - it is an enchanting and endearing read. The beauty and wonder of ancient brewers comes through in the author's language - even more wonderful, the book contains an extensive, up-to-date overview of the medicinal actions of the herbs used in beers throughout time. Please, read this book, and help begin the move away from hopped beers to more healthy, wonderful tasting beers like yarrow ale, elder ale, and ginger beer. I can't recommend this book enough!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plenty safe, December 26, 2004

By 

Charles Andrew Wingard (Brunswick, ME) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation (Paperback)

Stephen's book on beers is great because you learn about brewing, other cultures (human), and herbs. He is also very clear about how powerful plants can be, and for each herb he gives 2-5 paragraphs of well cited information. Some of the measurements are a little vague or confusing in the recipes but like he says the point is to make a mess and have fun. This is a great read for anyone into health as well, just for the chapter on fermented honey and bee products alone. And if he includes a recipe with jimson weed or henbane, he is very clear about the inherent risks. Lighten up and drink some meade.