History of Beer Making

Beer has been a part of human existence and culture since before written history began. Beer is actually a generic term that can be applied to either lager or ale. Lager and ale differ in the temperature used in fermentation. Beer in one form or another is common across cultures, but the varieties and formulations of beer vary widely.

The oldest documented records of brewing are attributed to the Sumerians of approximately 6,000 years ago. References to beer were made approximately 5,000 years ago in China, where the beverage was called "kui." The Mesopotamians also brewed beer 4,000 years ago, with master brewmeisters who were actually brewmistresses. The profession was highly respected. The ancient Egyptians also considered beer an important part of their diet, so important in fact, that beer was included in the provisions for the dead to sustain them on their journey to the world beyond. In the early Christian era, monks perfected the brewing of beer, offering the beverage as an aspect of service for the hotels they ran for pilgrims and other travelers. During medieval times brides sold ale on their wedding day to help pay the expenses of the nuptials. The term "bride-ale" was modified to become "bridal." Similarly, the expression "yule-tide" actually means "ale-tide." In more recent history, the German celebration of Oktoberfest first took place in 1810. Beer was first distributed in cans in 1935, shortly after the end of Prohibition. In the 1970s, microbreweries gained wide popularity, marking a full circle in the production of beer, which had first been produced in small quantities and throughout most of its history had been a family business rather than the product of factory-sized breweries.

Modern beer is the product of four basic ingredients: water, malted barley, yeast and hops.Hops are the dried flowers of the hop plant. Various grains and other plants have been used throughout history to brew beer. In Africa, beer was made with millet, maize and cassava. Persimmon was used in North America; agave in Mexico. In South America, corn was used, except in Brazil, which used sweet potatoes. The Japanese continue to use rice to make sake, as they did in the past. Other Asian cultures have used sorghum. The Russians used rye. The ancient Egyptians may have been the first to use barley, likely cultivating it strictly for the purpose of brewing beer.

Ale and lager differ in the proportions of the ingredients included, and in the brewing temperature. Ale originated in Britain and is brewed at room temperature. It tends to contain more hops and malt than lager, and has a nutty or bitter taste. Lager comes from the German word meaning "to store," and originated in Germany. It was originally brewed in the chilly caves of Bavaria and is still brewed at colder temperatures than ale, typically between 45 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Ales are typically described as "fruity" and "rounded" in flavor, while lagers are called "crisp" and "clean" in taste.

"Near beer" is essentially a brewed beverage with too little alcohol to be classified as true beer. It arose during Prohibition, when alcohol was outlawed in the United States. It is brewed like beer, looks like beer and tastes somewhat like beer, although it tends to be very light and somewhat watery. The alcohol by volume (ABV) in "near beer" can vary, depending on brewing method. Generally, the alcoholic content of near beer is about .5 percent, and may be sold as "non-alcoholic" in some places. "Near beer" with slightly higher alcohol content is sometimes sold as "low alcohol" beer. During Prohibition, "near beer" was often spiked with alcohol to produce what was known as "needle beer," because the spiking was done by poking small holes into kegs of "near beer." A small market for non-alcoholic beer exists even today.

In America, so-called "light" beer must contain fewer than 100 calories per serving. However, in Canada, the term"light" beer is reserved for beer that contains between 2.5 and 4 percent alcohol. Therefore, a "light" beer in Canada could very well not qualify for the designation in America, and vice versa. Small beer, also called small ale, is made by adding water to hops which have already been fermented to create beer once. The brew is created by heating the water and hops, and is slightly bitter. Historically, small beer was produced in regions where the water was not safe to drink. Small ale can be used from the ingredients used to ferment hard liquor, in which case the name "small" is somewhat of a misnomer, as it can pack quite a punch. The yeast used in lager brewing can be used more than once, making lager somewhat more economical to produce than ale. Additionally, lager tends to keep better than ale because of the brewing process and the lower temperature.