Top 10 wine gods and goddesses

5. Nin-kasi

This Sumerian goddess is possibly the oldest on this list. She was the brewer of the gods and taught humans how to brew as well.

One clay tablet from Sumer has been translated as “A hymn to Ninkasi” and is a recipe for making beer involving bread and malted grains left to ferment in a pot.

In ancient Mesopotamia, beer was both a staple of the diet and used in religious offerings and events.

No imagery of Nin-kasi is thought to have survived the centuries but many Sumerian carvings depict beer drinkers and drinking beer – often through a straw.

Her legacy currently lives on at Ninkasi Brewing Co. in Eugene, Oregon, which apparently shares “the ancient Sumerian belief that beer is an important and valued part of civilization.”