Emmer is a type of wheat which was among the earliest cultivated grains in human history, dating to Neolithic times. Before its cultivation, hunter gatherers harvested it wherever it grew wildly, with the earliest evidence of its consumption dating to approximately 19,000 years ago near the Sea of Galilee. It, along with barley and einkorn, was a staple crop in the Fertile Crescent, and it was also used by the ancient Egyptians to make beer. Here and now in the 21st century, Riedenburger’s Emmer Bier gives us a chance to connect a bit to our early history, as it’s made with emmer along with lesser quantities of einkorn, spelt, barley and wheat. Like all of Riedenburger’s beers, Emmer Bier is bottled unfiltered (naturtrüb), so expect a very hazy deep brownish amber on the pour, and don’t be surprised if there’s some yeast sediment in the bottle. It’s not heavily carbonated, and thus comes across a bit like a kellerbier crossed with a specialty grain dunkelweizen.