ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Beer didn't always taste like this — for most of its history, it didn't have hops in it at all. This episode traces how a wild, untaxed weed toppled a centuries-old church-and-crown monopoly on beer flavoring, and debunks two of the most widely repeated legends in brewing history along the way: that Henry VIII banned hops as a "wicked weed," and that India Pale Ale was invented to survive the voyage to India. Neither is true.
Along the way: the real chemistry behind hops' preservative power, plus a folk sleep remedy that turns out to have genuine pharmacological backing. There's also 8-prenylnaringenin — the most potent plant estrogen ever identified, discovered because generations of hop-pickers absorbed enough through their skin to disrupt their own menstrual cycles — and the surprising, slightly embarrassing prehistory of craft beer's own founding myth.
Full show notes, research sources, and transcript at thealchemistsbar.com.
Distillate: The Hidden History of Cocktails, Spirits & Drink Culture is a production of The Alchemist's Bar, part of the Obscura Meridian family of projects. New episodes every Tuesday at 6:00 AM Central.
Full show notes, research sources, and transcript at thealchemistsbar.com.
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