Beer was by far the most important invention of civilization. The wheel, irrigation, sliced bread, nothing stands up to beer. Without it where would civilization be? Probably still using barley for breads or something not nearly as important as beer. This magical brew was most likely stumbled upon sometime around the dawn of civilization. Who knew at the time it would cause so much stumbling from then on.
From the ancient Sumerians to the Egyptians, the dawn of civilizations have mentions of beer brewing. Brewing and the art of brewing was so important to the Egyptians, the ancient scribes had a hieroglyphic symbol for the Brewer. The first beer was most likely a wonderful mistake. Basically some kid not listening to his parents forgot to take in the barley. His parents must have told him a thousand times, but he lives in a desert and it is not like it will rain or something. Low and behold it rains. He panics and hides the barley. Later with his buddies they see a bowl of these soggy grains. Each one dares the other to eat it. This was Egypt. They did not have frozen polls to stick their tongues to. As most young boys do, he fell to peer-pressure. Then each of them tried to eat more then the other. I am sure the alcohol did not help in moderating these boys. This was the beginning of a long love affair between man and beer.
Who first discovered this magical brew is under some controversy. Both Sumerians and the Egyptians have claims to it. Either way it started where the major civilizations began. This brings up another chicken or the egg controversy. Beer showed up at the very start of civilization. So did humans settle down to make beer or did beer start from civilization? Who cares? It’s more important that we have both.
Beer was a valuable source of protein for early civilization as the fermentation process adds protein to what is really a wet rotten piece of bread. It was also a lot more fortified in vitamins then today’s Budweiser. The filtering process takes much of vitamins out of the beer while leaving badly flavored water and alcohol. Yes, I do not like Bud or any major brew. The original brews were cloudy with yeasts, particles of barley, and various flavorings added throughout history.
Because beer was so valuable to humans they took it with them as they migrated. As humans moved away from the Fertile Crescent, they brought their recipe for brew with them. Changing the recipe based upon natural occurring plants and cultivated crops. Beer traveled west to Greece and Italy, north to Russia, west to Germany and the Nordic lands, east through Persia to China, and finally south to Africa. Each land it met it changed with the people. Honey, ginger, raspberries, and hops were added until in the Middle Ages, when German brewers more or less nailed down the basic beer formula of barley, water, hops, and yeast.
One of the great sanctuaries of brewing was the monasteries. While Islam in the Middle East was outlawing alcohol, Catholicism was perfecting it. These monks many times would go for long fasts, although they did leave a loop hole for themselves. They could drink. And drink they did. The monastery beers were some of the best in Europe. These beers were of course not the tradition bad tasting water brews but the thick hearty ales of old.
When the new world was found beer traveled there too. In fact, the United States was a perfect example of what accomplished and perfected beer could be like. Many of the founding fathers were home brewers. In addition many of the meetings between the leading members of the rebellion met in pubs. The English began taxing beer just like the tea because of the rebellious meetings held in the pubs. In fact, the Boston tea party very nearly became the Boston beer party. When faced with the choice of beer or tea they of course threw over the tea. The enemy’s beer is still after all, beer. If you think about it, the United States started from a severe case of “beer muscles”; a group of farmers taking on the greatest empire on the face of the earth. I think beer played a role in the gross over estimation of one’s own superiority.
Beer, where would civilization be without it? What nice conversation to have over a few brews. I will bring a few of mine; you bring a few of yours and let’s chat. I believe that a quote from one of the great thinkers our time will close this paper nicely “Beer, it is both solution and the reason for all my problems”. Homer J Simpson.
Information was gathered from:
http://www.portsmouthbrewery.com/htmlpages.portsmouth/historyofbeer.html
http://www.beerinstitute.org/history1.htm
http://www.eat-online.net/english/habits/history_of_beer_main.htm