Dr. Patrick E. McGovern is the kind of Scholar writers and researchers make pilgrimages to, on his time schedule—not necessarily receive visits from, when they just happen to be in town.

Nevertheless, and in spite of the fact that the globe-trotting scientist was recovering from jet lag after concluding a stint of recent fieldwork in China, we were overjoyed to spend some time with Dr. McGovern at Philadephia’s Yards Brewing Company last night (Oct. 21, 2015).

For anyone intrigued by the intersection of beer, history, and science, familiarity with Dr. McGovern’s work should be considered crucial. He is the (big inhale) Scientific Director of the Biomolecular Archeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia (exhale…if you have anything left). And he and his colleagues are responsible for unearthing some of the most ancient beers and wines yet discovered by modern human beings. Moreover, he is an author of several books and a collaborator on an award-winning series of Ancient Ales, historical beers and ales brewed and distributed by Dogfish Head.

Our too-short visit with Dr. McGovern proved another point: that any work of history, and indeed any assertion about history, is only as good as the latest research trudging its way through production and peer review.

In spite of The Comic Book Story of Beer‘s contention that the no brewing was ever carried out in the entire ancient history of Italy, as it turns out the pre-Roman Etruscan civilization had a taste for ales, and in fact brewed them. Supporting evidence for this Etruscan zythophilia has been found in drinking vessels found in 2,800 year-old burial vaults.

So let’s toast intellectual honesty! We are happy, in the name of academic best practices, to admit this one slipped through our fingers, and we are grateful to be able to share the correction with you.

Additionally—although this has nothing to do with beer—Dr. McGovern hipped us to an exciting but yet-to-be-proven prospect that would truly rock the world of the history of distillation. If provable, this would be a decisive point in the plus column of inventions creditable to the cultures of the New World rather than the Old. We will responsibly refrain from spilling the beans on this, but do keep up with Dr. McGovern’s work via his website. And check out his list of available publications on Amazon here or in libraries here.