In any afternoon or weekend aperitif,there are many things on the table,such as a tapa or a beer. Spain is one of the countries where more beer is consumed but have you considered the history of this drink? Or What were the first beers that were created like? Well now you have the prospect to taste on your palate what the first beer in history was like that has nothing more and nothing less than 5,000 years old.
Humbaba is the beer that has achieved adapt to the present the original recipe that the Sumerians produced 5,000 years ago. The new craft of La Caníbal is an Ancestral Ale (3.8%) that is a version of the oldest beer on record: screw up. This drink, endorsed by the CSIC, has aroused the interest of experts and the public during the two millennial beer workshops of Science Week 2025, organized by the Center for Human and Social Sciences (CCHS) and the Sabeer Beer Academy at La Caníbal Fábrica in the San Blas neighborhood of Madrid.
“In the Sumerians of the third millennium BC, beer was a source of life and prosperity. it was also food and even a salary, the women were in charge of its care and the entire family consumed it. Our production is based on its translation of the original tablets of the song to Ninkasi, the Mesopotamian goddess of beer,” explains Luis Vida, brewmaster and production director of La Caníbal.
This way, the cereals of the ancient kas sig are recreated without using hops (yet to be discovered), combining pale barley malt with emmer grains (a primitive form of wheat) and other unmalted grains. That’s how it is generates a balanced malty base similar to old grain mixes.
Another of his challenges has been posed by the mysterious bappir**.
Ancient Sumerian Beer Recreated: Meet Humbaba
A team in Madrid, Spain, has successfully recreated an ancient Sumerian beer recipe, resulting in a unique brew called humbaba. The project, spearheaded by Bárbara Böck after five years of botanical research, aims to replicate the flavors and aromas enjoyed over 5,000 years ago.
The beer’s creation involved using ingredients documented in ancient texts,including juniper berries and coriander seeds added at the end of the cooking process.While the original recipe included aromatic calamus – now banned in the EU – the brewers emulated its flavor profile using other botanicals to achieve the “bitter and spicy finish described in ancient documents.” A key element is organically grown date syrup incorporated into the must, providing a primitive sweetness reminiscent of a time when the distinction between beer and wine was less defined.
Named after Humbaba, the god of the cedar forests from the epic poem of Gilgamesh (circa 2500 BC), the resulting beer is described as “a golden beer, rustic but refreshing, with fruity and citrus notes, more acidic and exotic than any tap beer we are used to.” Only 1,000 liters of this neo-Sumerian beer have been produced.
Humbaba is currently available on tap at La Fábrica (julián Camarillo,19) and La Caníbal (Argumosa,28) in Madrid,priced at €6 for a pint and €2.5 for a third. Six-packs of 33cl bottles (€16) can also be purchased through the La Caníbal website.
This innovative project offers a rare opportunity to experience a taste of the ancient world, bringing history to life through a unique and flavorful brew.