History Lesson: The Story of Beer

Pater April 15, 2009 - 2:15 pm

lol, that was great.didn’t know beer has been around for so long! well, anyway, gonna get drunk tonight. three cheers to early man!

bingo April 15, 2009 - 3:14 pm

Wassssssssup!

jaapie April 15, 2009 - 5:38 pm

Asahi the first dry hopped beer?? I find that hard to believe. Also, the refrigeration technology was invented by the Czechs. Crediting Anheuser is a little far fetched.

Cory April 15, 2009 - 6:44 pm

You’re missing the creation of the World Series of Beer Pong, created in 2003. http://www.bpong.com.

The Col April 15, 2009 - 7:53 pm

Monks used it for food => steak taters and gravy

Anton April 16, 2009 - 12:21 am

Some great examples of worlsd class beers around today

Anton April 16, 2009 - 12:22 am

= http://www.adelaidebiershop.com.au

martin April 16, 2009 - 5:34 am

actually, this is incorrect. While the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 (NOT 1514) is the most widely-published one, it is predated by the Munich Brauordnung of 1447 and the Weimar beer law of 1348.

Matt23 April 16, 2009 - 7:57 am

cute chart, love the graphics… a few nits to pick:

> It’s “Ninkasi”
> Homer used the word “alcohol” not “beer”
> And you missed the purchase of 1965 Anchor Brewing Company by Fritz Maytag, which basically jumpstarted the craft brewing movement.

gi April 16, 2009 - 11:43 am

Nice chart, too bad it’s al little to “American”
For over 300 years before Europeans migrated to America, 100’s of different kinds of beer were already brewed all over Europe.

A2brewer April 17, 2009 - 7:48 am

Several of the references are factually inaccurate. Where does mead fit into the history? Mead is arguably the ambrosia referenced in ancient Sumeria, dating 10,000BC and beer doesn’t hit the historical scene until roughly 4,000BC. A better description might be the history of fermentation. As for the persecution of ‘beer witches’ adding different herbs, it’s always more complicated. The Church had pushed the use of hops, because they owned the hop farms! The persecution was simply to avoid competition, not because they were using herbs that killed people. Many herbs and chemicals that are used in quantities can kill but in small amounts are actually therapeutic, which the ‘witches’ knew and the Church called heresy/witchcraft.

Anonymous April 17, 2009 - 4:13 pm

1

B. Mug May 4, 2009 - 10:52 am

I like the visual appeal of this. Yes, there are a lot of things left out but then again this page would have become a mile long. Good Job!

The May 16, 2009 - 4:00 pm

jaapie, It doesn’t credit Anheiser with the invention of refrigeration, but says that they were the first to take advantage of it to ship beer….please read more closely

connecticut personal injury lawyer May 20, 2009 - 1:39 am

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Anonymous May 25, 2009 - 8:42 am

why dont you say the word POST one more time?

Ben May 30, 2009 - 8:11 am

the reinheitsgebot was published in 1514 originally, then was amended in 1516 to include yeast as an ingredient. Also if you’ve ever read the document it includes a few paragraphs on the fair market price for beer than it does purity. just sayin…

ATV July 15, 2009 - 8:20 am

one thing i’ve never understood is why anyone would invest in a biotech company but not a beer company. if we were to go to an ethanol economy (which may or may not be a bad idea) the beer companies are the only ones who have experience at running reactors and purification processes of the size that will be needed.

poopbutt July 25, 2009 - 6:41 pm

don’t forget!
around 1935, alcoholics anonymous was created for those who are unable to drink responsibly.
i know, buzz kill.

but its worth mentioning anyway.

Russ August 30, 2009 - 6:56 pm

yeah so nothing new…i’ve researched the history of beer more than once. Can someone get to me OTHER names that beer was called in ancient Sumerian or ancient Egyptian languages? Really looking for any name before the word “beer” stood for the drink we all know and love!