Chew It Up, Spit It Out, Then Brew. Cheers!

As part of Peacenik's ongoing series about the brewing industry, Peacenik offers this story about Latin American corn beer. Peacenik is a big fan of beer, but Peacenik thinks Peacenik will take a pass on trying Chicha beer.

By JOYCE WADLER

Published: September 8, 2009

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Ryan Collerd for The New York Times

SAM CALAGIONE, the founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, has a taste for exotic brews. There is Midas Touch, created from sediment found on drinking vessels in the tomb of King Midas in Turkey, and Chateau Jiahu, inspired by trace ingredients from a 9,000-year-old dig in China.

But his latest seemed extreme, even for an extreme brewer. He planned on making a batch of chicha, a traditional Latin American corn beer.

And in order to follow an authentic Peruvian method as closely as possible, the corn would be milled and moistened in the chicha maker’s mouth.

Read on...