Renowned beer experts and representatives of premier Bay Ara breweries will join forces on Oct. 10 for the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology's annual symposium and exhibition in a series focused on the anthropology of food.

"99 Bottle of Beer: Global Brewing Traditions 2500 B.C.–Present" runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the Hearst Museum (corner of College and Bancroft avenues, Berkeley) and begins with an outdoor beer fair featuring tastings. Food pairings will be provided by Henry's of Berkeley. For visitors interested in getting hands-on, a workshop on the effects packaging has on flabor will be led by 21st Amendment.

At the symposium, from 3 to 5 p.m., Fritz Maytag, president and brewmaster of Anchor Brewing Co., will share his experience of leading the revival of micro-brewing in the Bay Area. He will be joined by Charles Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC Davis. "For myriad reasons, beer has achieved a status often perceived as inferior to that of wine," says Bamforth. "Thoroughly unjustified! My presentation will highlight how beer is vastly more complex, much harder to make, considerably more interesting and better for your health." Other speakers include Christine Hastorf, a UC Berkeley professor of anthropology, and Bruce Paton, executive chef of the Cathedral Hotel, San Francisco.

The beer fair accompanies the museum's newest exhbition, also named "99 Bottles of Beer: Global Brewing Traditions 2500 B.C.–Present." Curated by Ira Jacknis. research anthropologist at the museum, the exhibition presents 130 beer-related objects revealing the striking unities and diversities of human cultures as they come together to celebrate the fruit of the grain.

"The exhibition marks the first time this unusual collection has been on public display," says Jacknis. "It goes well beyond beer as we know it today. The diversity of objects is incredible. On one end of the scale we have traditional German steins and American beer bottles; and on the other, we have artifacts used by ancient civilizations, such as a stunning 4-foot-high Incan jar for corn beer and Egyptian beer cups that are more than 4,000 years old."

Tickets for the fair start at $20. To purchase tickets and for complete program information, visit hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/beer.