Beer, one of the oldest and most beloved beverages in the world, has a history as rich and frothy as the drink itself. Across centuries, it has been the centerpiece of countless stories, rituals, and myths. From ancient legends about the origins of brewing to modern-day misconceptions about what makes a "good" beer, the world of beer is filled with tales that have shaped our perception of this iconic drink. But how much of what we know is actually true? In this article, we'll dive into some of the most intriguing beer stories and myths, peeling back the layers of history and tradition to reveal the facts behind the fiction. Whether you're a casual drinker or a craft beer aficionado, get ready to have your beer knowledge expanded—and a few myths busted along the way.
Humans did not invent mead.
Mead can ferment naturally in the wild without any assistance from humans. Yeast which is everywhere, like in the air, in wood, and on fruit skins, just needs water, heat and time to create alcohol which it does by consuming sugar.
Humans did not invent alcohol.
It is quite likely that when humans first started storing grain, it got wet, became fermented by wild yeast and turned into alcohol. Then, their livestock drank from the puddles and got drunk. So one of the tribe said ”Hey, do you dare me to drink that” and that is where it all began . We like that person.
Beer Myth Busted. The Egyptians did not invent beer.
Egyptians adopted and modified a Sumerian technique by soaking loaves of bread with fruit juices in pots and letting it sit a few days before drinking it. Hardly beer as we know it, but it was a start. Today, this same method is used in prisons, except instead of pots, they use a toilet. Beer that was boiled, fermented and made with hops wasn’t invented until a lot later.
Beer took a long time to become what it is today.
Nobody in the middle ages woke up one day and said lets mix hops, water and barley and call it beer. Back then, every plant and tree was experimented with to try and figure out if it would make people drunk. It was this trial and error process by our ancestors which eventually led to modern day beer as we know it, and likely to the need for health inspectors. Thanks great-gramps!
Since nobody knew what yeast was, early brewers and wine makers simply said “Hey, the last time we made something in this barrel we got drunk, let’s use it again”. Little did they know the wood had yeast in it. They probably also said, “Hey, the last time we made beer in this barrel half the village died”. Part of the reason why the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Law) was created.
Before hops were used in beer, local herbs, plants, trees and spices were all used to flavour ‘beer’ in different regions. This botanical mixture is called ‘Gruit’ and it often had aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic properties. However, it probably also created gastro-intestinal problems too. Another reason for the creation of the Reinheitsgebot.
When hops were first used to make beer as we know it.
Although hops grew indigenously in Europe, they were mainly used in medicine. Logic dictates that some gruits may have included hops, but the first written record of hops being used in beer was by a Bavarian nun named Hildegard von Bingen in the 1100's. Well she wrote it in the 1100's but it wasn’t published until the 1500's. Back then, monks and nuns were some of the few people who could write.
The Reinheitsgbot
The Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Law) of 1516 is where beer as we know it started. It said beer could only have 3 ingredients. Not 4. Water. Barley and Hops. The fourth ingredient, yeast, was not added to the law until 1906, thirty years after Louis Pasteur figured out that yeast made alcohol in 1876.
England did not discover hops as a preservative.
England did not ‘figure out’ hops preserved beer. They were introduced to hopped beer by the Dutch Trading Company. Bavaria, Bohemia and Scandinavia were using hops long before the Brits.
For more stories like these, visit our website or join us on an educational Calgary Brewery Tour.
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