From the Oct 13 – Oct 19, 2005 issue

Extras

Drunk of the Week Extra

OKTOBERFEST

Somewhere between 7,000 to 4,000 B.C., in Mesopotamia, in the Kingdom of Sumeria, women invented beer. Early agriculture in the "fertile crescent" was centered around grains. Those grains, pregnant with possibility, became bread and, eventually, beer. Sumerian women were both the first brewers and the first gods of beer. By adding a trace amount of my vaginal yeast to regular brewer's yeast, my "Original Pussy Beer" pays homage to beer's ancient creators from "the cradle of civilization." Woman is literally reunited with the beer.

Yeast, because it has been used for millennia, carries a great amount of symbolic weight. As a key ingredient to basic sustenance like bread and beer, yeast is an age-old, familiar and very powerful medium to work with. Food, and our complex relationship with it, is mythical; when we eat and drink, human happiness and sorrow, love and hate, heaven and hell are simultaneously displayed and represented. If beer is food, and food is life itself, then beer too is life itself.

Experimentation with these historic staple foods, in combination with my own body, helps to build a new artistic dimension: understanding through taste. To experience an art piece through taste is a two-pronged experience. The viewer has to make a simple decision - to ingest it or not. From this primal question new questions quickly arise: Is it socially acceptable to drink beer that includes even a trace amount of vaginal yeast? Is it natural? Is it kinky? Can a man drinking this beer still be macho? Why does it make such a difference when it comes to the human body?

It is these questions about society's ever-increasing disconnect with the human body that I try to expose and learn about by feeding the viewer. By sharing my art in this way, I share my body and mind, inviting the viewer to have a conversation on a genuinely intimate level. Essence meets essence. The participants begin to understand me and I them.

Humanity was built on beer and conversation. Please enjoy both.

PROST! -Toi Sennhauser

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Comments (19) RSS

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1
OK, dumbass. Brewers yeast and vaginal yeast are two different organisms. one has nothing to do with the other. beer has never, ever been fermented with vaginal yeast, not even in ancient Sumeria. brewer's yeast is present in the wild and it is this yeast which originally sparked fermentation. later, yeast strains were unknowingly maintained, as the same wooden stirring utensils were used on each batch. at no point was vaginal yeast a factor. that type of yeast would not have converted sugar to alcohol.
Posted by hercules on September 28, 2008 at 9:11 PM · Report
2
dumb bitches... get back in the kitchen you hos
Posted by fucku on September 29, 2008 at 4:40 AM · Report
3
Pix or it didn't happen.
Posted by heh on November 13, 2008 at 4:52 AM · Report
4
isn't that kinda like cannibalism?
Posted by ganja on November 14, 2008 at 1:19 PM · Report
5
the second that eating human flesh becomes as acceptable as eating the carcasses of these other species we routinely sacrifice for the sins of our bored palates, i will consider renouncing vegetarianism. humans have no idea of their place among other species on this, the only planet we know of that can support carbon-based life
Posted by wfb on December 10, 2008 at 4:08 PM · Report
6
What I hate is people who use the keywords of the year. It seems the new words of the year are "Green", "Carbon", "Carbon Footprint"
Posted by NO THANKS on December 14, 2008 at 8:01 AM · Report
7
Dude. Lame. This is just lame.
Posted by ...? on December 14, 2008 at 2:20 PM · Report
8
yeast has no symbolic weight you silly cow.

and you've missed the point of why people wouldnt want to drink your beer.

CUZ YOU PUT YOUR VAG JUICES IN IT, YOU IDIOT!

you women... you will never learn
Posted by DONT DRINK VAG BEER on December 15, 2008 at 3:58 AM · Report
9
plus i bet your breath smells like shit...
Posted by Just Stick to licking pussy! on February 11, 2009 at 6:10 PM · Report
10
you all need to chill this is a funny article writen by a funny person
you go kelly you rock
Posted by jimmy on March 25, 2009 at 11:16 AM · Report
11
"Toi"?

It would be some freakass hippie gal with an androgynous name who did this. You will never see Lisa Lager, Amber Alice or Rachel Red.
Posted by Rip Dickoff on April 23, 2009 at 10:26 PM · Report
12
yeast is not yeast!!!, Vag and penis yeast is not beer yeast and does not make alcohol this artical is a total lie.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae BEER YEAST is nothing like Candida albicans the human pathogen, oh and by the way anyone can get a yeast infection not just woman. ever heard of Thrush you may have it now.
Posted by Saccharomycetales on April 28, 2009 at 10:38 AM · Report
13
This is disgusting.. I can appreciate good brewing, and I can appreciate art in all it's forms, but seriously? This is like me taking a dump in your meatloaf, or putting toe nail clippings in your snowcone.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STOP BREWING BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by srslythatsjstgrss on August 11, 2009 at 7:42 PM · Report
14
Would the people who keep commenting "vaginal yeast is not beer yeast" please shut the fuck up and pay attention while reading? She never claimed that the vag yeast would ferment beer; she just said it was a symbolic reunion of woman with the brewing of beer (which I guess is necessary since drinking beer is nowadays a man thing). You don't have to buy her argument, but pay attention to what you read, dumbasses.

Plus, I don't know about you fags, but for me drinking beer with pussy yeast (or even just juice) in it is WAAAAY above eating shit or toenails on my to-do list. Perhaps you would have preferred spooge in your beer?
Posted by Two Great Tastes That Go Together on August 13, 2009 at 12:52 PM · Report
15
Just one question: Where can i obtain it?!

It sounds lush!
Posted by Holly Hefewiezen on August 31, 2009 at 4:17 PM · Report
16
I love how 'artists' implicate a connection to their art and just as artfully backtrack to the point of casual connection for the sole purpose of attracting attention. Cheers! and nice logo. Maybe you should stick to graphic design. Thanks for wasting my time.
Posted by WinkWinkNudgeNudge on September 1, 2009 at 7:01 PM · Report
17
so much hostility over such a silly thing. i like how you used 'artists' as if its a bad thing. what the fuck does art have to do with making beer? And why are you so ready to jump on the 'artists' card. as if its bad. Im sorry your shitty job makes you hate every one. get a talent.

fuck yeah, pussy beer, whatevs, hasnt been dont yet i commend you. that totally rules, and kelly, thanks for the follow up.

its weird, kinda gross, and totally entertaining.

thats what its about now, who can be the most weird. im way into it! write more!
Posted by tits mcgee on October 7, 2009 at 12:33 AM · Report
18
so much hostility over such a silly thing. i like how you used 'artists' as if its a bad thing. what the fuck does art have to do with making beer? And why are you so ready to jump on the 'artists' card. as if its bad. Im sorry your shitty job makes you hate every one. get a talent.

fuck yeah, pussy beer, whatevs, hasnt been dont yet i commend you. that totally rules, and kelly, thanks for the follow up.

its weird, kinda gross, and totally entertaining.

thats what its about now, who can be the most weird. im way into it! write more!
Posted by tits mcgee on October 7, 2009 at 12:33 AM · Report
19
so much hostility over such a silly thing. i like how you used 'artists' as if its a bad thing. what the fuck does art have to do with making beer? And why are you so ready to jump on the 'artists' card. as if its bad. Im sorry your shitty job makes you hate every one. get a talent.

fuck yeah, pussy beer, whatevs, hasnt been dont yet i commend you. that totally rules, and kelly, thanks for the follow up.

its weird, kinda gross, and totally entertaining.

thats what its about now, who can be the most weird. im way into it! write more!
Posted by tits mcgee on October 7, 2009 at 12:33 AM · Report

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