August 18, 2026
A Concise History of Beer
This talk will concisely cover the history and evolution of beer—from its beginnings in ancient Mesopotamia to today’s global beer markets. It will be a fast-moving presentation covering the 15,000-year journey of the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage.
Beer has been used in religious ceremonies, as a source of nutrition, as a means of fighting disease, as currency and as a social drink. It has influenced many civilizations in profound ways. Attendees at the talk will have the rare opportunity to taste an ancient Sumerian beer Charlie brewed from a 6,000-year-old recipe found on clay tablets.
Featured Speaker: Charlie Gottenkieny
As a Co-founder of Bruz Beers, Colorado’s premiere Belgian-style brewery, Charlie is the brewery’s brewmaster. He has been brewing beer since 1988. His more than 50 trips to Belgium started his intense interest in Belgian beer styles.
As a homebrewer, Charlie won more than a hundred awards in major beer competitions, including a number of Best of Show awards. He is the only two-time winner of the American Homebrewers Association’s Homebrewer of the Year award.
Charlie has been part of the Beer Judge Certification Program since 1994 and is a National-level beer judge. His book Artistry in a Glass, a Passion for Belgian Beers is slated to be released early in 2027.
In addition to Artistry in a Glass, Charlie is the author of the weekly Bruz Beers blog, and teaches a number of classes and tastings on Belgian beer at the brewery. He is a frequent contributor to a variety of publications as a subject-matter expert.
Gottenkieny received a B.A. from St. Andrew’s University. Before co-founding Bruz Beers in 2016, Charlie has been a radio broadcaster, advertising executive, corporate educator, and business consultant to global corporations in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Featured Brewery: Bruz Beers
How This Works
The Buffalo Rose will open at 6:00 p.m. Food and drink service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the program will begin around 6:30 p.m. Following the presentation, we’ll take a brief intermission for Q + A. We’ll wrap up around 7:45 p.m., but people are welcome to stay a bit longer to chat with the speakers.
Please check out podcasts of Past Talks.