| Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world. It dates | | | | created by accident in the 1500s when beer was |
| back to at least the 5000 BC as recorded by the | | | | stored in cool caves. |
| ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. A six thousand | | | | During the Industrial Revolution beer brewing was |
| year old Sumerian tablet shows people drinking a | | | | also industrialized. The invention of the hydrometer |
| beverage from a large bowl using straws made from | | | | and thermometer in the 19th century allowed |
| reeds. The oldest recipe for beer is contained in a | | | | brewers to make beer more efficiently. Before the |
| 3900 year old poem which uses barley to make the | | | | 1700s, malt was dried over fire, which gave it a |
| drink. Some anthropologists believe it was the | | | | strong smoky flavor. The malt was shielded from the |
| production of beer that led nomadic humans to | | | | smoke with the invention of the drum roaster in |
| cultivate cereals and settle in villages. The knowledge | | | | 1817. The discovery of yeast and its part in |
| of brewing was transferred from ancient civilizations | | | | fermentation further streamlined the process of |
| to the Greeks, who in turn passed their techniques | | | | brewing. |
| on to the Romans. Soon, Romans came to prefer | | | | In 1900, there were over 2,000 independent brewers |
| wine to beer, viewing it as a drink for barbarians such | | | | in the United States. After Prohibition in the 1920s, |
| as the Germanic tribes. | | | | many American brewers that had been making |
| During the middle ages, there was much | | | | European-style beers went out of business. There |
| experimentation in Europe as to which ingredients to | | | | are now less than 20 still in operation. Water was |
| use. Hops began to be used as early as the 11th | | | | often added to bootlegged beer during this time to |
| century. By the 14th century, beer brewing had | | | | increase the bootleggers' profits, which led to |
| become a commercial industry in which monasteries | | | | Americans preferring lighter-tasting beers. Today, |
| and pubs produced large amounts of the drink for | | | | most beers brewed in America are light-flavored |
| mass consumption. During the 15th century in England | | | | lagers. |
| hops were imported from the Netherlands. At first, | | | | Founded in 1852 in St. Louis, Missouri, the largest of |
| the English did want the hops added to their beers. | | | | these American brewers is Anheuser-Busch, which is |
| However, with a couple hundred years, nearly all | | | | the also third largest brewer in the world following |
| English ales and beers contained hops. In 1516 the | | | | InBev and SABMiller. Anheuser-Busch is most famous |
| Duke of Bavaria proclaimed that beer should only be | | | | for brands such as Budweiser, Natural Light and |
| made from water, hops and barley. Yeast was later | | | | Michelob, but brews over 65 different beers. The |
| added to the list after its discovery. When Otto von | | | | corporation has 11 breweries in 10 states, including |
| Bismarck unified Germany in 1871 this Reinheitsgebot | | | | facilities in Los Angeles, California, Columbus, Ohio and |
| ("purity requirement" in English) was adopted into | | | | Jacksonville, Florida, as well as 15 overseas breweries: |
| German law. Most beer during this time was actually | | | | 14 in China and 1 in England. |
| what is now referred to as ale. Lagers were first | | | | |
