Do you know where the hoppy golden liquid comes from?
In the days of yore, it was always good to find things that were safer to drink than water. Sure, there were wells and springs, but water was dangerous, and could give you dysentery. (Read about how drinking water is produced, and why we need it!)
When there’s no refrigeration, you start to think about other ways of preservation. Longevity was the word of the day (at least for the liquids). Some people fermented grapes. Others brewed water with barley and wheat. Others still distilled drinks from potatoes and sugar cane.
There were a lot of drunk people before the invention of soda.
Beer is one of the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverages in the United States, but it has a nice long history all over the place. Read about it now and in the past!
Beer Making, opens a new window (Science in Context)
Karl Von Linde, inventor of modern refrigeration, opens a new window (Science in Context)
All things Considered: How The Story of Beer is the Story of America, opens a new window
Beer in Egypt, opens a new window (World History in Context)
Alcoholic Beverages in Latin America, opens a new window (World History in Context)
