Brewing the Past: Recreating Sixteenth-Century Beer Event 4
Dates
14/02/2026 - 14/02/2026
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location
Dublin Castle
Brewing Power: Food and Drink in Sixteenth-Century Ireland
Dublin Castle is delighted to present a six-part public lecture series exploring how food and drink shaped everyday life, social relationships and authority in sixteenth-century Ireland. The series draws on new research conducted by the FoodCult project, led by Trinity historian Dr Susan Flavin, and moves between the kitchens of Dublin Castle and the reconstructed Tudor brew houses combining history, science, archaeology, craft and film.
EVENT 4: Brewing the Past: Recreating Sixteenth-Century Beer
This is a discussion, tasting and Q&A with Marc Meltonville, Susan Flavin and Maurice Deasy.
What flavours and strengths might people have encountered in sixteenth-century beer? This lecture introduces a unique experiment to recreate sixteenth-century Irish beer using a combination of archival research, archaeological evidence and historic brewing techniques. Led by historic brewer Marc Meltonville, it explains how historians and brewers worked together to turn fragmentary records into a working process. The talk follows the brewing step by step, from ingredients and equipment to timing, flavour and strength. Along the way, Susan Flavin reflects on what this reconstruction reveals about diet, labour, intoxication and everyday life in early modern Ireland. The lecture concludes with a guided tasting and discussion.
Link to the film Drunk? Adventures in Sixteenth-Century Brewing
Date: Saturday, 14th February, 2026
Time: 7 pm – 8.30 pm (Doors open at 6.45 pm)
Location: George’s Hall, The State Apartments, Dublin Castle Upper Yard
Adults (18+)
Tickets: €7 (plus booking fee)
Getting Here
Situated in the City Centre off Dame Street, behind City Hall, 5 minutes walk from Trinity College en-route to Christchurch.
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