The Barbarian's Beverage — World Wide Beer Fest

The murky origins of beer culture may reach as far as 10.000 years into the past, to the Neolithic era. No one seems to know precisely when beer was first developed. Like some scientific discoveries, it was discovered, then rediscovered, then changed over time. Beer may have even been the stepping stone to leavened bread.

Ancient food production techniques utilized clay vessels and stone slabs for grinding grain, becoming the first tools made of these primitive breweries. Some bacteria was introduced by chewing up some of the grains, then spotting in back into the mash.

As found in Ancient Egypt outposts, beer was consumed by every person, regardless of age. How was the beer? in Greece, it may have been something akin to a form of Barleywine. Archaic beverages were also brewed in the Far East. Like food, production techniques always reflect local customs and methods.

The wealth of written and artistic records of beer don’t provide the details that physical analysis of archeological records can reveal about early brewing.

Why is beer important? After water and tea, it’s the third most consumed beverage in the world. It is the giver and the mover, and spawning creative and technical progress, both mechanical and psychological. Like so many crafts, a closer look at history can deepen appreciation for beer. There are a multitude of amazing resources online to learn about the history of any topic, including beer

First published in 2005 by the University of Windsor, Barbarians Beverage: The History of Beer in Ancient European, by Max Nelson, is a look into the fascinating prehistory of the world’s most intoxicating beverage. Read the Full Text online for free.