Edward Emerson's 585 page book, Beverages Past and Present, 1908, is
now available as a free Google download. As you might guess, much of
the book concerns wine over the ages. However other beverages are not
neglected. I am sure you are waiting with baited breath to learn about
milk fermented in goat skins :-) . The download is at:

http://books.google.com/books?vid=OC...-V4M4GCRhgCAS8

Perhaps someone will attempt to duplicate that milk fermented in a goat
skin and give us tasting notes.