An Introduction To Beer Brewing

Beer brings people together in local pubs and breweries, generating camaraderie within communities. People have been brewing and consuming beer since ancient times.

The ancient Sumerians even had a goddess of beer named Ninkasi. The legendary king Hammurabi, who ruled Babylon from 1795-1750 BCE, is credited with giving the world its first written code of laws.

In his laws, he took great care to see that provisions were made in regard to the pricing of beer. Law 108 says that the owner of a tavern must give proper measure of beer for corn.

Should she take money, then it must be in an amount equal to said measure of corn and not any less. If it was less then she should be convicted and thrown into the water to drown. Law 111 states, "If an innkeeper furnish sixty ka of uskani-drink to [? ] she shall receive fifty ka of corn at harvest."

Supposedly, the Egyptians taught the Greeks how to brew beer. It has been suggested by that Dionysus, the wine-god of Greek mythology, was actually a superimposition of Dionysis, the beer-god from more ancient times.

The famous Greek writer Sophocles (450 BCE) stressed moderation, and suggested a diet of "bread, meat, green vegetables, and zythos (beer)".

The Greeks in turn taught the Romans to brew beer, and Julius Caesar, following the fateful crossing of the Rubicon in 49 BCE, toasted his officers with beer. The Romans then showed the savage tribes in Britain the art of brewing.

In 1516 in Germany there was written the German Purity Law, which stated that only "pure" beer could be sold to the public. 

Beer Brewing techniques have been refined through the years as technology has advanced. Brewing beer is a a process that takes several (but basic) steps, but definitely the most important operation of the brewing process is fermentation.

Fermentation is the process by which yeast and natural enzymes convert carbohydrates in fruits and grains into alcohol and carbon dioxide. (In former times, yeast was called "Godisgood" because the chemical reaction by which it coverted the grains and fruits into alcohol was not understood; it was seen as a kind of magic, and a blessed kind at that.)

Clearly the knowledge has been known for ages, but only now are brewers beginning to apply state of the art technology to control and improve the process.

By and large, we are presently drinking the finest beers ever produced, due to our increased knowledge in the fields of biotechnology, microbiology, and chemistry. Cheers to beer brewing!

An Intro To Micro Brews

With their varying flavor intensities and alcohol contents, microbrews are here because beer  distributors noticed a market demand and took a gamble on imports like Corona in the 70s.  This type of flavorful beer sold to a limited yet very enthusiastic crowd.

Beer manufacturers create what sells, therefore they didn't believe there would be a significant maket with those types of beers.  Consumer studies and sales showed that the biggest part of the American audiences enjoyed watery brew.

Then, out of nowhere, microbrews popped up after the first successful brew, Samuel Adams, fought with import distributors to try and convince them that a flavorful American beer would sell.  Now, we have more microbrews than ever before with morecoming out each and every day.

Microbrews really hit when distributors really believed that at least some people would buy them.On the other hand, home brewers and brewpubs had legal wars.  In 1968, home brewing was legalized and home brewers now had the support and assistance of supply and advice stores.

Until 1983, brewpubs were illegal in all states.  Late in 1983, California first began to allow brewpubs to brew and distribute their brands of beer on site.  These charming, yet small batch breweries experienced high sales, especially in restaurants.

Around a century ago, the United States had more than 2,000 breweries making many different styles and variations.  By the 80's, there were only 40 brewing companies that offered a brand of American Pilsner. 

Today, there are over 500 microbreweries and brewpubs in the United States.  Over the past few years, brewpubs have been popping up all over the place, even in bars that used to only carry the top beers.