Beer is a drink that is both ancient and very modern. On the other hand, these days, new varieties of this drink appear almost every day. Manufacturers do not stop developing new varieties of beer in the struggle for a very competitive market, the capacity of which is estimated at hundreds of billions of euros in Europe alone.
Many amazing, funny, and sometimes mysterious cases and incidents are associated with the history of beer. This is not surprising - the geography of its production is very extensive, hundreds of thousands of people are engaged in brewing, and billions drink beer. With such a massiveness, dry consumption figures cannot fail to generate interesting facts.
1. The Czech Republic remains a confident world leader in beer consumption per capita. Of course, this does not mean that the Czechs do nothing but drink beer intermittently to brew it - the country earns billions of euros from beer tourism. Nevertheless, the Czech Republic's leadership is impressive - the figure of this country exceeds the figure of the second-ranked Namibia (!) By almost one and a half times. The ten largest consumers also include Austria, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Romania, Seychelles, Estonia and Lithuania. Russia ranks 32nd in the rating.
2. Beer is older than baked bread. At least, the yeast necessary for baking real, familiar bread (not cakes made from wheat flour) appeared precisely after brewing beer. By the most conservative estimates, beer is over 8,000 years old. In any case, written recipes and descriptions of making beer as an everyday drink date back to the middle of the 6th millennium BC. e.
In Ancient Babylon, they did not know how to filter beer and drank it through a straw
3. The attitude to beer as a “plebeian drink” dates back to the times of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Grapes grew abundantly in those parts, and there were never any problems with wine. The barley, from which beer was brewed, was livestock feed. With the appropriate attitude of the owners of this very livestock to the people who consume the drink made from barley.
4. The previous fact completely disproves the belief that beer is malt, hops and water. They say that the Duke of Bavaria issued such a decree in 1516, and since then the decree has only been extended. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Duke of Bavaria owned a small piece of land that was in no way related to today's rich Bavaria, in which a third of all world breweries are concentrated. In addition, he managed to bring the population of the analogue of the present Far Eastern hectare subject to him to poverty and hunger. Now the population would be quickly explained the harm of a drink made from barley to health, and at the same time the health benefits of barley cakes. Times were simpler then, and the duke had to chop off the heads of homebrewers who wanted to eat wheat bread and brew beer from oats.
Duke of Bavaria
5. The founders of the Christian church also made a great contribution to the black PR of beer. Saint Cyril, for example, never tired of informing the parishioners of the Alexandria diocese that the muddy drink consumed by the poor instead of wine was the product of incurable diseases. One must think that grape wine was served regularly and in appropriate quantities to the table of such a holy person.
6. But in the British Isles beer, in contrast to continental Europe and the Mediterranean, turned out to be an excellent means of Christianization. It was necessary, for example, to inform the Irish that Saint Patrick first brought beer to the islands, as the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle rushed to enroll in the Christian faith with whole clans - has there been such a God who not only allows, but recommends the use of alcohol. Then it turned out that Patrick strictly forbade the use of alcohol, which equates people with livestock, but it was too late. Irish preachers began to carry the light of Christianity and the habit of drinking beer throughout Northern Europe.
Saint Patrick according to beer lovers: both clover and a glass
7. Triad "wine - beer - vodka" perfectly illustrates the climate of Europe. In southern countries like Italy, France or Spain, wine is mainly consumed. The climate here allows not only to feed, but also to grow grapes that are absolutely useless from the point of view of survival. To the north, the climate becomes more severe, but it allows the surplus of the necessary grain to be transported for beer production. From this came the popularity of beer in Belgium, Britain, Holland and Eastern Europe. In Russia, beer was popular mainly in the southern regions (although even Novgorod was famous for brewers) - further north, more serious drinks were required to break down edible fats, and beer was a children's drink. And even now, to be honest, beer in a men's company is very often a warm-up before a serious feast.
8. Draft and bottled beer are the same - no one will install separate lines at a brewery with a capacity of one thousand hectoliters of beer. The difference can only be on how much gas the bartender does not feel sorry for when bottling.
9. In the "Dark Ages" beer was as much a trademark of monasteries as bell ringing. Following the example of the large monastery of Saint-Gallen, located on the territory of present-day Switzerland, three breweries were set up in large monasteries: for their own consumption, for noble guests and for common people-pilgrims. It is known that beer made for oneself was strained; unfiltered beer was also suitable for guests. The name “Monastic” in Europe is treated in much the same way as the name “cognac” - only certain monasteries and companies that cooperate with them can call their products “Monastic beer”.
Monastic brewery in the Czech Republic
10. Beer increases milk production in lactating women. This was known for a long time, and the fact is confirmed by modern research. Milk production is influenced by the carbohydrate betaglucan, which is found in both oats and barley. At the same time, the proportion of alcohol in beer does not in any way affect the production of betaglucan, therefore, in order for a nursing mother to have more milk, you can drink non-alcoholic beer.
11. Despite his reputation as an ascetic and martyr, the founder of the Protestant religion, Martin Luther, was a big drinker. He argued right in his sermons that it is better to sit in a pub with thoughts of the church than in a church with thoughts of beer. When Luther married, his family spent 50 guilders a year on bread, 200 guilders a year on meat, and 300 guilders went to beer. In general, the German states produced 300 liters of beer per person per year.
Martin Luther seems to be thinking about
12. Peter the Great, visiting England, noticed that practically all the shipyard workers, as if on selection, were tall and strong, and everyone drank porter. Having linked these facts, he began to import English beer for shipyard workers in St. Petersburg under construction. The future emperor himself, either in England or at home, did not particularly like beer, preferring stronger drinks. Peter planned to gradually replace the massively consumed vodka with less strong drinks, including beer. However, logical constructions in relation to the masses in Russia do not work often. Beer began to drink a lot and with pleasure, and the consumption of vodka only grew. And the Russian authorities have always feared too actively to fight vodka - it meant too much for the budget.
13. Almost a detective story happened to the beer that was brewed in Ossetia when Grigory Potemkin was the favorite of Empress Catherine. Some of the dignitaries brought Potemkin several bottles of Ossetian beer. The all-powerful favorite liked the drink. Potemkin, who was not used to counting money, ordered the brewers to be transported to St. Petersburg along with their equipment and belongings. The craftsmen were brought to the north of Russia, they conscientiously began to brew beer and ... nothing came of it. We tried all possible combinations of ingredients, even we brought water from the Caucasus - nothing helped. The mystery remains unsolved until now. And in Ossetia they continue to brew local beer.
14. Sofa experts-zitologists (as the science of beer is called) like to talk about the fact that all beer is now powdered. Normal, correct beer is brewed only in a few mini-breweries, which, of course, the expert has visited. In fact, it is in microbreweries that most of the malt extract, the same powder, is used. Its use allows you to speed up the brewing process - three stages are thrown out of this process at once: grinding the raw material, mashing it (filling with hot water) and filtering. The powder is simply diluted with water, boiled, fermented, filtered and poured. In theory, it is profitable, but in practice, malt extract is several times more expensive than natural malt, so its use in mass production of beer is unprofitable.
15. The strength of beer depends only on the manufacturer's imagination. If you do not take into account the modern non-alcoholic varieties, the most tender beer must be recognized as brewed in Germany in 1918. Apparently, in commemoration of the defeat in the First World War, one of the German brewers brewed a variety whose strength did not even reach 0.2%. And Scots prone to alcoholic perversions brew, but rather dry beer with a strength of 70%. No distillation - they just wait for the strength of ordinary beer to increase due to the evaporation of water.
16. Brewing is a profitable business, and in the conditions of a monopoly on production - doubly profitable. But the desire to monopolize the market can play a cruel joke on the most profitable business. In the 18th century, in the city of Tartu, then part of the Russian Empire, there were two brewers' guilds - a large one and a smaller one. It is clear that there was no question of any friendship or cooperation between them. On the contrary, the guilds bombarded the administrative bodies with complaints and slander. In the end, the bureaucrats got tired of this, and they revoked the permissions to brew beer, which both guilds had. The right to brew was given to widows and orphans who had no sources of income. True, such an orphan happiness lasted only 15 years - as a result of the next reform, licenses for brewing were introduced, part of the cost of which went to the poor.
17. Cold beer tastes the same as warm (reasonably warm, of course). The myth about the taste of cold beer is based on the sensations of a person in the heat - in this case, a mug of cold beer really outshines all the treasures of the world. But even at a temperature of 15 ° C, beer retains its taste.
18. Although the pasteurization process is named after Louis Pasteur, he did not invent it. In the East, in Japan and China, it has long been known that short-term heating allows you to increase the shelf life of food for a long time. Pasteur only popularized this method of heat treatment. Moreover, his research, the fruits of which are now actively used in the production of milk and its processing products, were aimed exclusively at beer. Pasteur, who practically never drank beer himself, dreamed of taking away the leadership in the beer market from Germany. To this end, he bought a brewery and began making experiments. Very quickly, the scientist learned how to make beer yeast faster than other brewers. Pasteur brewed beer practically without air access. As a result of his observations and experiments, Pasteur published the book "Beer Studies", which became a reference book for generations of brewers. But Pasteur did not succeed in “moving” Germany.
19. For 15 years at the end of the 19th century, Jacob Christian Jacobsen and Carl Jacobsen - father and son - fought more warlike competition under the Carlsberg brand. The son, who took control of a separate brewery, believed that his father was doing everything wrong. Jacobsen Sr., they say, does not increase the production of beer, does not apply modern methods of production and sale of beer, does not want to bottle beer, etc. To his father's indignation, Carl Jacobsen renamed his brewery “Ny Carlsberg”, and Soyuznaya Street, which divided two factories, renamed Rue Pasteur. For some time, relatives competed in the size of the plates indicating the correct, in their opinion, street name. With all this, the volumes of beer sales and revenues were constantly growing, which allowed the Jacobsens to collect excellent collections of antique antiquities. Ironically, the father caught a fatal cold when, after reconciliation with his son, they went to Italy to bribe more antiquities. Karl became the sole owner of the business in 1887. Now the Carlsberg company ranks 7th among the world's beer producers.
20. Jacob Christian Jacobsen is also known for his altruism. Emil Hansen, who worked for him, invented the technology of growing pure brewer's yeast from just one cell. Jacobsen could have made millions from this knowledge alone. However, he paid Hansen a generous bonus and convinced him not to patent the technology. Moreover, Jacobsen sent the recipe for the new yeast to all of his big competitors.
21. The Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen, famous for his polar explorations, carefully calculated the weight of the cargo on the ship before the legendary voyage on the “Fram” - it was expected that the raid would last 3 years. Nansen doubled that figure and managed to fit everything he needed on a relatively small vessel. Fortunately, there was no need to carry water - there is enough water in the Arctic, albeit in a solid state. But the researcher, who was very strict about drinking alcohol, took ten barrels of beer on board - the main financial sponsors of the expedition were the brewers, the Ringnes brothers. At the same time, they did not require advertising - Nansen took beer with him and reported this to the newspapers out of gratitude. And the brothers received both advertisements and an island named after them.
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Nansen near the "Fram"
22. In the fall of 1914, the First World War, as it were, took a pause, in order to then collect another batch of thousands of victims. The Western Front stabilized, and on Christmas Eve in some places soldiers and officers - at the grassroots level, of course - agreed on an armistice. It looked like a miracle: the soldiers, who had been sitting in muddy, damp trenches all autumn, were finally able to straighten up to their full height in full view of the enemy. A little west of French Lille, the battalion commanders of the British and German units, seeing that the soldiers began drinking beer together on the no-man's land, agreed between themselves an armistice before midnight. The soldiers drank three kegs of beer, the officers treated each other to wine. Alas, the tale soon ended. The brewery, from which the Germans had brought the beer, was soon shot down by British artillery, and in the subsequent battles only a handful of feasting officers survived.
23. The political career of Adolf Hitler was directly connected with beer, or rather with beer. After the First World War, German pubs turned into a kind of clubs - hold whatever events you want, just don't forget to buy beer, and you don't have to pay for the rent of the hall. In 1919, Hitler, at the Sternekerboi beer hall, impressed the members of the German Workers' Party with a speech about a united and powerful Germany. He was immediately accepted into the party. Then it had several dozen members. A year later, the future Fuhrer began to lead the party agitation, and the party meeting already required the Hofbräuhause beer hall, which could accommodate 2,000 people. The first attempt at a Nazi coup is called the Beer Putsch. Hitler started it by firing a pistol at the ceiling of the Bürgerbrückeller beer hall. In the same beer career and Hitler's life could end in 1939, but the Fuhrer left the hall for a few minutes before detonating a powerful explosive device planted in one of the columns.
24. If athletes of the early twentieth century were told about the current fight against doping, they would most likely call the narrator an idiot at best.Only by the end of the previous century, doctors agreed that athletes still should not reinforce their strength with strong alcohol during the competition. "Only beer!" - that was their verdict. Cyclists on the Tour de France carried flasks not with water, but with beer. Breaking away cyclists might well have made a short stop at a beer bar. While the bartender was filling the glass with a frothy drink, it was quite possible to smoke, sitting on the entrance steps. On the 1935 Tour, Julien Moineau took advantage of the fact that a beer maker placed tables with hundreds of bottles of cold beer on the side of the track. While the peloton was stuffing their stomachs and pockets with free beer, Mouaneau went into the lead for 15 minutes and finished alone. Drinking the beer that was awarded to the winner, Moineau looked with superiority at the finishing rivals.
25. Even a cursory analysis of reviews about possible snacks for beer shows: they eat this drink with absolutely everything that God has sent. Beer snacks are sweet and savory, fatty and unleavened, dry and juicy. The most original beer snack seems to be Uzbek nuts, made from the core of apricot kernels. The seeds are removed from the rind, cut and sprinkled with fine salt. Then they are dried several times, washed and heated. Nuts prepared in this way can be used with any type of beer. Rettich, a special long turnip served in Germany, should also be included in the snacks hit parade. A true German beer lover wears a special knife with a blade about two centimeters long in a sheath on his belt. With this knife, the turnip is cut into one long spiral. Then they salted it, wait for it to let the juice out, and eat it with beer.
