Brewing the Past: Recreating Sixteenth-Century Beer

Brewing Power: Food and Drink in Sixteenth-Century Ireland

(This event is part of an interactive public lecture series at Dublin Castle)

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.

Brewing the Past: Recreating Sixteenth-Century Beer

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.

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)

Susan Flavin - Associate Professor of History, Trinity College Dublin; Principal Investigator, FoodCult

Marc Meltonville FSA - Consultant Food Historian and Historic Brewer

Maurice Deasy - Founder and Head Brewer, Canvas Brewing (County Tipperary)

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Host or Publisher Dublin Castle, OPW