• According to historians, beer was the preferred drink of Roman warriors, with Romans brewing their own sweet, light beer using figs, malt and natural yeast
• Experts from the Carlsberg Research Lab have analysed what could make a beer fit for a gladiator

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 12, 2024 — While the Romans are often associated with grapes and wine, experts from the Carlsberg Research Laboratory have revealed how they may have made beer. According to historians, beer was actually the drink of choice for the Roman army, with soldiers receiving a ration of beer as part of their supplies.

So, while we are familiar with depictions of Romans celebrating victories with a cup of wine, it’s likely that gladiators would often be found enjoying a beer after a day of combat.

Carlsberg Research Lab has shared the techniques that the Romans may have used to brew beer.

Zoran Gojkovic, Director of Brewing Science, Yeast and Fermentation at Carlsberg noted: ‘Techniques used were probably inspired by those developed by the Egyptians, from recipes to the way the ingredients were handled’.

According to Gojkovic, Roman beer was likely lighter in color than modern beer due to the malt not being dried over an open fire. This would have affected the flavor of Roman beer as the Maillard reaction in malt wouldn’t have occurred. Romans (in Rome) used barley, but there are indications that rye was the primary grain for brewing in some regions.

These brewing methods would have also resulted in a brew with a lower alcohol percentage, similar to a Session Beer, with 2-3% ABV being typical. In terms of flavor, Egyptian brewers often used dates as a starter culture, resulting in a sweeter, not fully fermented beer. It can be assumed that Roman brewers took a similar approach.

‘It is believed that the Romans could have also used figs as a starter culture, and not simply bread as reported previously. This would likely introduce the wild yeast and bacteria that would be present at the fruit which would have had very different aromas including notes of vanilla, tobacco and even wet earthy notes’, noted Gojkovic.

It’s safe to say that the beers enjoyed by gladiators would have been quite different from what we find at a local pub today, but probably still considered among the best beers in the world.

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