When people think of beer today, they envision a couple of different things. They may first think of the store that they typically purchase their favorite brand from. Others may bring their own in a microbrewery. However, beer is not a contemporary beverage. It has been around for thousands of years. It has been traced as far back as 7000 years ago. There are even others that believe it predates the development of agriculture. What is not known is why beer was initially produced. Whether it was accidental or the result of cultivation and purposeful development, we may never know how it all started. However, there is an origin story to beer based upon the evidence we have today, which has created a rich history behind this beverage.
When Was Beer First Made?
According to historians and researchers, it was in Iran, around 7000 BC, that beer was first made with barley. Utilizing the written history that was discovered in Mesopotamia and Egypt, it has been shown that it was a product that was produced and sold. There are other records in China around 7000 BC, which presents evidence that beer was also brewed there. In Iran, barley was used, and in China, rice, hawthorns, and even grapes were used to produce beer for those cultures.
How Did Brewing Beer Get Started?
There are certain grains that can spontaneously ferment. This is due to a combination of sugar and wild yeast, causing this to occur. During the inception and development of agriculture, cultures at the time likely encountered the effects of beer when consuming products produced via domesticated cereal. This evidence comes from pottery that was excavated, with the earliest originating nearly 9000 years ago. This evidence of fermentation found in the pottery leads researchers to believe that brewing beer was first done during this era.
The Progression Of Beer In History
As time progressed, going through the Neolithic period of Europe, through to the Industrial Revolution, beer was still being made. It was the Industrial Revolution and the widespread domestication of crops that allowed beer to become more prolific in society. Instead of merely being brewed by individuals, it became a widespread phenomenon that spanned the globe. Today, this global business is multinational, yet there are changes in how it is produced.
The Advent Of Microbreweries
Microbreweries have become very popular in recent years. People have, in a way, reverted to the origins of how this product was first produced. Instead of relying upon major companies to produce the same type of beer year after year, those that have access to this technology can brew their own. Using different grain types and implementing different fermentation processes, they can create unique brews week after week. This trend of developing your recipes for beer has become even more popular, sparking a revolution in this beverage’s development, so much so that there are Beer festivals across the world that feature Beer produced at such microbreweries.
Different Types Of Beer That Are Brewed Today
There are many different types and styles of beer that are produced today. Most of us have heard of them before. There are specialty beers that are crafted worldwide using wheat, barley, and many other components. Some of the more popular ones include Porter, Stout, Pale Ale, and Dark Lager. If you are a fan of drinking beer, you are likely aware of how beer is categorized, which is useful if you decide to use a microbrewery system. The top-fermenting styles include Belgian style beer, wheat beer, and brown ale. If you prefer, you can attempt to brew your own bottom-fermenting styles, which include German-style bocks, Pilsners, and Pale Lagers. As time passes, there will likely be more advancement made in the wide-scale production of beer. The same is true for microbreweries that are sold by the thousands every year. Suppose you are a fan of drinking this fermented beverage. In that case, you may want to consider researching more of this product’s history and subsequently start making your own beer to maintain this tradition.
Over the course of many years, you could become very proficient at producing a unique type of beer that people would prefer. Through experimentation, beer originally became a favorite beverage, something that continues now and into the future.