An evening of archaeology and beer tasting traces what people brewed, shared and celebrated in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Before a beer could come with tasting notes, someone had to work out how to make it. At the Getty Villa on Oct. 10, that long human experiment becomes the subject of an evening that moves from archaeological evidence to a drink on the terrace.
Bacchus Uncorked: Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt brings archaeologist Tate Paulette and classicist and beer historian Travis Rupp together to explore brewing cultures that developed more than 5,000 years ago. The program looks at beer as part of ordinary life as well as special occasions, using the traces left by the people who made and consumed it.
That is a useful shift in perspective for anyone accustomed to encountering antiquity through rulers, monuments and battles. Brewing opens a door onto daily routines: what people drank, how knowledge passed between makers, and the place of shared refreshments in a community.
Paulette will discuss the evidence for those traditions and his own work recreating ancient beer. Rupp will explore early flavor profiles and introduce modern brews inspired by historical practices. These are contemporary interpretations informed by research; the appeal is in learning how the researchers move from surviving evidence to something that can actually be poured.
After the presentations, guests head to the Villa’s Café Terrace for beer, substantial appetizers and conversation. The setting gives the talk a natural second chapter, with an opportunity to consider the research while trying the kinds of drinks it has inspired.
The evening also includes a late opportunity to see Sculpted Portraits of Ancient Egypt and The Egyptian Book of the Dead, open from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. For visitors interested in food history, that makes a particularly coherent museum outing: objects, ideas and the taste of an old human habit, encountered over the course of one evening.
Tickets are $110 and include the beer selection and appetizers, with nonalcoholic drinks available. The event is for adults 21 and older; its ticket also serves as the Villa entrance reservation. Allow time to arrive before the 5:15 p.m. presentation, then leave the rest of the evening open for the terrace.
For more information and to get tickets visit getty.edu
Plan a visit. Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, 5:15–8:30 p.m.
Presentations begin at 5:15 p.m.; terrace tasting runs 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Location: Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. $110; ages 21 and older.
Parking costs extra.
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of the Getty Villa
