Microbiology at its best

As a microbiologist I've come to learn that microbes can be good or bad.  Some of the good microbes, maybe the best in my opinion, are the ones involved in the food industry. One of my favorite applications of microbes in the food industry is fermentation, specifically beer fermentation.  Microbes such as yeast are used to convert the raw ingredients in beer into co2 and alcohol. Yeast however, aren't solely responsible for the flavor.  Dogfish Head, a brewery known for their craft beers, has recently come out with  Chateau Jiahu that includes such ingredients as rice, grapes, berries and honey. The recipe was concocted when an anthropologist uncovered and analyzed brew pots used almost 10,000 years ago in china.  This beer is one of many included in Dogfish Head's Ancient Ales that try to bring back the past's best brews. The ability to recreate these pieces of history wouldn't be possible without yeast, the workhorse of beer brewing. These microorganisms have been responsible for creating flavorful foods and drinks throughout history and continue to be used today