The Sumerians in Mesopotamia were the first proven civilized society that made beer. If you are like me and are not a die-hard Sumerian enthusiast, these folks were walking around near Afica/Middle East approximately 6,000 years ago. So, our delicious beverage is at least 6,000 years old. It is said that the Sumerians came about the beer by complete chance. It is believed that bread, which is made from barley, was out in a bowl and became wet. After a few days, the wet bread began to ferment and made a pulp that made people feel exhilarated when drank. I think it would have been pretty funny to see the conversation between the Sumerians and how they actually decided to drink the fermented pulp. Either way, the Sumerians were able to duplicate this fermentation process and . . . behold, the first beer was made. Albeit definitely not the same beverage that you will find in your local bar or grocery store. The consistency was very thick and a straw was used to drink the beer, since there was a lot of bad tasting sediment in the drink.
As with any good thing, the beer making process was spread across the continent and to various civilizations that further elaborated on the very simple process that the Sumerians had accidentally found. Through trade and conquest, it went from the Babylonians to the Egyptians to the Romans and beyond. Different variations were found all over the world. There was a corn beer, Tibetan beer and even camel milk beer. I would probably recommend not bringing the camel milk beer to a party. May not go over so well. The point is, beer was made and being enjoyed all over the world.
Beer gained even more stature once the Christian monasteries began brewing beer, gotta love those monks. The monks were in charge of science, technology and agriculture. Since beer is made with grains, they were the perfect group to devote their time to refining the brewing process. The monks refined the brewing process and provided food, drink and shelter to weary travelers. We will go more into the Christian monasteries and monks when we explore beers that were enhanced and further developed by the monks.
During medieval times, women were the primary beer makers. This is interesting, because today women are a minority in the beer making industry. Hopefully, we can change that! These women learned their brewing techniques from the monks. If you think about the word 'bridal', it kind of sounds like 'bride ale'. Well, to pay for her wedding, women would make and sell beer (ale).
There were numerous technological advances which made beer a much easier product to produce and to enhance consistency. Yeast, which is used in the fermentation process was further explored and understood by Louis Pasteur. This allowed for beer to be produced through out the entire year. With the development of scientific knowledge, people could explain and fully understand the process of beer making.
Today, beer is going through a new revolution primarily due to craft brewers and beer enthusiasts. Everywhere you turn, there is a new craft brew popping up in your neighborhood bars and grocery stores. It's a very exciting time for the beer community. We are constantly being given new types of beer and the flavors are limitless.
I hope this was a nice introduction to the early history of beer. Of course, we will go into a deeper explanation of the actual brewing process and the various types of beers and I will also be doing a beer review and will put up a poll that will determine which beer will be reviewed.
I also hope that this blog will give you the confidence to go out and order or buy a beer that you would never have thought of drinking.
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