Monkeys love to get their drink on. In Darwin’s eyes, we are natural born, evolved and fit drinkers. Humans have been making alcohol since they could raise a glass with the Missing Link, so get primal with your drinking and order these five ancient alcoholic beverages in your modern bar.
Mead. On the African continent more than 40,000 years ago, feral bees would nest in the dry season. The wet season came around and filled those nests with water, and over time, the honey-water mixture turned into wine. Bees were then kept not only for honey, but for the rudimentary booze. Mead is this wine made with honey rather than grapes, and mead-making has been refined for 40 centuries. Your high end wine bar is likely to carry a variety of mead.
Cachaca. Many believe Cachaca to be the first refined hard liquor. Developed hundreds of years ago in Central and South America, Cachaca has become one of the favorite liquors of Brazil, but is relatively unknown in North America. Cachaca is made from sugar cane, which is similar to rum (made from molasses). Order a Caipirihna, which is a like a Mojito on steroids, and enjoy this ancient liquor.
Pulque. Pulque got a bad name in Central America because it was the drink of choice for peasant farmers. Pulque is made from the agave plant, just like tequila or mezcal, but the distilling process is stopped short to create a carbonated, low alcohol content, beer-like liquid. Boutique pulque brewers have started to pop up, and the ancient Central American brew is beginning to make a resurgence in swanky bars.
