By:De'Shaun Blocker

The History of Beer                           

     Beer is defined as a fermented malt beverage. The word beer is derived from the latin word bibere meaning 'to drink''. The greek goddess of agriculture, Ceres, is the root of the spanish word for beer, cerveza. The first civilized culture to brew beer were the Samarians in Mesopotamia. They called it a divine drink and offered it to their gods. The earliest record of beer is a 6,000 year old Samarian tablet that depicted a group of people drinking from a communal using reed straws. The culture of the Babylonians was derived from the Samarians and the developed their art of brewing beer. They developed the ability to brew 20 different kinds of beer. They also have a tablet that is over 4,000 years old depicting master brewers as highly respected members of society. These master Babylonian brewers were women and priestesses.

Regional Differences

     Egypt:Some 5,000 years ago in the Imperial Egypt of the Pharaohs, beer was already an important food item in the daily diet. It was made from lightly baked barley bread, and also was used as a sacrament.

People gathered in the evening to drink at a 'house of beer'. Beer was the natural drink of the country, a basic in the diet of the nobility and of the fellah (the peasant). As well as being a drink, beer was also used as medicine. A medical document which was written in about 1,600 BC lists about 700 prescriptions of which about 100 contained the word 'beer'.

The Egyptians also provided their dead with food and beer. An old Egyptian tomb bears the inscription: "....satisfy his spirit with beef and fowl, bread and beer". In the taverns or houses of beer in Egypt, the favourite toast was "Here's to your ghost".

Beer also had status - a keg of beer was considered the only proper gift to be offered to the Pharaoh by a suitor seeking the hand of a royal princess. 30,000 gallons a year was also offered as a fitting gift to the Gods by Pharaoh Rameses II (1,200 BC). It is recorded that a similar amount was also offered to appease the gods when they became angry.

Isis, the nature goddess, was Egypt's patroness of beer brewing and an important civic official was charged with the task of maintaining the quality of beer, an integral part of everyday life and religion.

Other references to beer from Egyptian times include mention of beer brewed from barley in the Egyptian's Book of the Dead, and many ancient Egyptian wall hangings also depict the brewing of beer.

     Greek/Rome:It was the Egyptians who reputedly taught the Greeks how to brew beer.

In fact it has been suggested by historians that Dionysus, the wine-god of Greek mythology, was actually a superimposition of Dionysis, the beer-god from pre-historic times.

The famous Greek writer Sophocles (450 BC) stressed moderation, and suggested a diet of "bread, meat, green vegetables and zythos (beer)". Other early Greek writers, Xenophon and Herodotus, also mention beer.

The Greeks in turn taught the Romans to brew, and Julius Caesar, following the fateful crossing in 49 BC of the River Rubicon, toasted his officers with beer.

The Romans then showed the savage tribes in Britain the art of brewing.

Pliny and Tacitus are among the classical writers who record the development of the brewing art among the Celtic and Teutonic peoples of Britain and Central Europe.

     Christians:Beer really came into its own with the advent of the Christian era, largely through the influence of the monasteries which brewed and improved the beer. Monks often built the first breweries as pioneers of the hotel business, providing shelter, food and drink to pilgrims and other travellers.

Three Christian saints are listed as patrons of brewing, all distinguished members of the Christian faith: Saint Augustine of Hippo, author of the confessions; Saint Luke the Evangelist; and Saint Nicholas of Myra, better known as Santa Claus.

Other saints also had links with brewing. Saint Columban, doing missionary work in Germany, found people preparing to consume a cask of beer in a ceremony to a pagan god. He blew upon the case, which fell apart, and when the crowd became penitent he miraculously increased the small amount of beer left. Saint Bright is credited with changing water into beer to feed lepers. She personally brewed ale each Easter time to supply all of the churches in the neighbourhood.

Saint Mungo, the patron saint of Scotland's oldest city, Glasgow, established a religious brotherhood there in 540 AD, and one of the brothers started brewing to supply the others. Brewing is still regarded as the oldest industry in Glasgow. Saint Patrick, according to Senchus Mor, the book of the ancient laws of Ireland (438-441 AD), numbered among his household a brewer - a priest called Mescan.

Hall, Michael. "Beer History." drinkingbeer.net. Janruary 13,2007. Drinking Beer. 16 Jan 2009 <http://www.drinkingbeer.net/BeerArticles/Beer_History.php5>. 

.Com, Fosters. "History of Beer." fosters.com.au. Fosters Group. 16 Jan 2009 http://www.fosters.com.au/enjoy/beer/history_of_beer.htm. 

  net, eat-online. "Beer In Ancient Times." eat-online.net. september 3,2003. eat-online.net. 16 Jan 2009 <http://www.eat-online.net/english/habits/beer_in_ancient_times.htm>.