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History of Beer
Beer has a long and illustrious
history. Through the years, it has been used in songs, poems, stories and
legends. The golden nectar has been relished by prominent people in all
civilizations. But while beer was considered to be a beverage worthy
of kings and gods, it was also enjoyed by people from all walks of
society.
We can trace the beginning of
beer far back beyond the dawn of recorded time. Apparently beer was the
first alcohol beverage known to civilization. Most likely, a crude form of
beer was discovered by accident when someone mixed barley with water and
then let it sit long enough for stray yeast cells to settle, triggering
fermentation.
Brewing Process Steps: The art
of brewing is complex. but the brewing process can be divided into four
basic steps: The Brew house operation, Fermenting, Lagering, Finishing
Beer Categorizes: Beer is
generally classified as :
-
Lager: In German, a term which
means "to store". All bottom-fermented beers are considered lagers as they
are aged and stores for a period of time at cold temperatures(45o
Fahrenheit)
in larger tanks.
-
Ale: A beer produced by rapid
top-fermentation at warmer temperatures(65o Fahrenheit) than those used for
lagers and with a shorter storage time. These beers are generally darker
in color than lagers due to the more heavily roasted malts used in the
brewing process. These beers generally possess a strong hop flavor and may
be quite bitter in taste. Dry hopping is sometimes used to import an
additional hop aromatic to the beer.
-
Specialty beers: These beers
contain unusual flavorings or raw materials but are still based on classic
brewing methods.
Beer Ingredients:
The quality of beer depends mostly on the quality of its ingredients.
Mainly barley malt, rice, corn, hops, brewer's yeast and water are used.
BIGGEST BEER DRINKERS
Beer dominates the geographic heart of
Europe. A line drawn northwest from Central Europe bisects the
great beer brewery and quaffing countries, the "beer belt" of the
Czech
Republic,
Germany,
Belgium, the
United Kingdom, and Ireland. Historically, what people drank
generally depended on what they grew, says beer expert Michael Jackson.
"If your climate is temperate but warm, you grow fruits and make wine. If
it's temperate but colder, you grow grain and make beer. If the weather is
colder still, you grow grain but tend to make distilled spirits."
According to National Geographic, the world's top beer drinkers, by
liters per capita, for 2005 are:
Czech
Republic @ 160.5, Ireland @ 127.4,
Germany @ 109.9,
Austria @ 105.8,
Belgium @ 98.6,
United Kingdom @ 95.7,
Denmark @ 92.5,
Slovakia @ 92.4,
Australia @ 87.8,
Venezuela @ 83.3,
United States @ 82.8,
Spain @ 82.1,
Finland @ 81.7,
Hungary @ 80.1,
New Zealand @ 77.3.
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