Beer - A Brief History
Beer is the world’s oldest and best selling alcoholic drink and after tea and water our most popular drink. It is thought that beer dates back as far as the sixth millennium BCE, and is recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer and a prayer to the goddess Ninkasi known as “The Hymn to Ninkasi” serves as both a prayer and a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. Beer was also drunk by Slavic tribes in early fifth century C.E.
The earliest known chemical evidence of beer dates to circa 3500 to 3100 BCE from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. Almost any substance containing sugar or starch can naturally undergo fermentation so it is likely that beer-like drinks were independently and accidentally invented by various cultures throughout the world. There is a close link between bread making and beer making and it has been argued by historians that the ability to produce these two things is responsible for humanity’s ability to develop technology and build civilization.
Women produced most beer prior to the introduction of hops in the thirteenth century. The drink was sold from their homes as a means to supplement the family income. By the seventh century C.E. beer was also being produced and sold by European monasteries. During the Industrial Revolution beer became manufactured on a large scale and the development of hydrometers and thermometers allowed the brewer more control of the process and far greater results.
Bitter is a British invention. W.L. Tizard, the author of the influential “Theory and Practice of Brewing,” noted in an edition dated 1857 that brewers were replacing porter with “bitter ale.” He was referring to the pale ales brewed for export in Burton-on-Trent. The term bitter was used descriptively. It was not until the following century that it came into use as a noun to describe a particular style of beer.
Today, beer is not only the world’s best selling alcoholic drink it is also a sophisticated beverage. Scientific analysis shows that a glass of beer contains as many aromas and flavours as a fine wine.