Imagine Getting Paid in Beer

Imagine finishing a long day of work and receiving part of your pay in beer. In the ancient world, that wasn't necessarily a joke.

Records from Mesopotamia and Egypt show beer being distributed as part of workers' rations alongside grain, bread and other staples. Beer was deeply connected to agriculture and everyday nutrition.

That means ancient beer wasn't simply a recreational drink. It could also function as food, a commodity and part of the labour economy.

That changes how we should think about brewing history. Beer wasn't sitting on the edge of ancient civilisation waiting for a celebration. It was woven directly into work, agriculture, household life and economic organisation.

Before direct deposit, there were grain rations. And sometimes those grain rations arrived fermented.

That's Tally's Take.