| Beer is consumed all over the world by young and | | | | from the word skole, or the drinking bowl designed |
| old. Countries, from ancient Babylon to modern Japan, | | | | after the shape of the upper half of a human skull. |
| are proud of their brews. Let us look at some | | | | At first, the actual skulls of enemy killed in battle |
| additional beer trivia: | | | | were used as bowls. I strongly believe in recycling but |
| - Around 4,000 years ago, in Babylon, there was a | | | | this goes a bit too far... |
| traditional practice that for the month after a | | | | - The expression "rule of thumb" originated from the |
| wedding, the father of the bride made available to | | | | practice used, before the introduction of |
| the groom an unlimited amount of mead. Mead is a | | | | thermometers, to describe brewers using their |
| beer based on honey, and because the Babylonians' | | | | thumbs to test the temperature of their maturing |
| calendar was based on the movements of the moon, | | | | brew. If the brew was too cold, the yeast would not |
| this time period was called the "honey month" and is | | | | grow and if too hot, the yeast would die. |
| now known as the "Honeymoon." | | | | In old England, a publican and his alewife barely had |
| - The American beer industry was particularly hit hard | | | | time to take a moment for themselves: |
| by Prohibition. Magan-breweries were the only | | | | - They had to have their own land to farm in order |
| breweries to survive Prohibition and that was only | | | | to grow the carbs needed to make beer, wine, |
| because of diversifying into other fields. The beer | | | | mead, and cider, plus growing sufficient foods to |
| industry didn't make a full recovery until the 1970s, | | | | feed the tavern guests. |
| with the revival of home brew and craft beer | | | | - They had to tend farm animals as well as keep a |
| movements. | | | | garden. |
| - When in an English pub, it is customary to order ale | | | | - They needed to provide rooms and stables for |
| by the pint or quart. Back in old England, if the | | | | their guests and their horses. A precursor to the |
| customers got rambunctious, the publican (pub | | | | parking garage? |
| owner) would yell at them to settle down and to | | | | - They needed to have enough education to be able |
| mind their own pints and quarts. Hence, the saying | | | | to keep the books, bills, and to collect payments due |
| "Mind your Ps and Qs." Alternately, the story goes | | | | as well as managing the payroll for their employees. |
| that records of beer purchases were posted on a | | | | - Elephants have an incredibly strong attraction to |
| board under "P" for pints and "Q" for quarts. The | | | | beer and other forms of alcohol. They will even hunt |
| publican would remind the barmaids to "mind their Ps | | | | for fermenting durian fruit in Malaysia. They must love |
| and Qs so that they might get the proper payment | | | | the alcoholic content of the durian because the fruit |
| for the drinks. | | | | is reputed to emit an odor of rotten eggs or worse. |
| - The popular Scandinavian toast skaal (skol) comes | | | | |
