The beer-drinking experience

AbstractThe chapter “The Beer-Drinking Experience” explores the diverse occasions of beer consumption in ancient Mesopotamia and the effects of beer consumption. It begins with the tale of Inana and Enki, two deities who found themselves in a high-stakes, beer-fueled competition. This story demonstrates two points about how the people of Mesopotamia understood beer consumption. First, it could lead to inebriation. Second, it could have consequences that went beyond the individual imbiber. The drinking of beer was celebrated, but it was also recognized to be a risky proposition. The motivations for drinking this potent and complicated beverage were just as varied and conflicted as today. This chapter uses a series of semi-fictional vignettes to explore four different occasions of beer consumption––in the home, at funerary feasts, on the job, and in the tavern––and then uses written evidence to uncover a distinctly Mesopotamian perspective on the effects of beer consumption.