The Ultimate, and Ancient, Amber Brew
Published on October 1st, 2008
Forget “Best By” dates on beer: California Polytechnic State University Raul Cano has defied that concept by brewing new beers from 25-million to 45-million-year-old yeast. Extracted from a bee encased in ancient amber, the yeast was not only still alive but capable of yielding some surprisingly tasty beer, Cano discovered. He’s now marketing his creations — which include a pale ale and a German wheat beer — via his company Fossil Fuels Brewing. (Note: It’s also appropriate to note that Cano’s work with DNA taken from amber-trapped critters helped inspire the Jurassic Park movies.)
