Analysis of archaeological finds suggests lager may originate in South America

New analysis of 1,000 year-old pottery fragments, unearthed in Argentina, has revealed the earliest known traces of the so-called “lost parent” yeast of lager beer.

According to a report by NBC News, the genetic analysis of ceramics, excavated by archaeologist Dr Alberto Perez, shows that they contain traces of the cold-resistant yeast strain Saccharoymyces eubayanus, one of the ‘parents’ of the hybrid strain Saccharomyces pastorianus used in the production of lager.

Dr Perez uncovered the pottery fragments near San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina, close to the Chilean border, last year. The subsequent analysis that led to the discovery of S. eubayanus was conducted by an interdisciplinary team led by archaeologist Jose Luis Lanata and the biologist Christian Lopes, both based at Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research….