Christopher Myers

Beer is more than just a beverage. The history of beer dates back thousands of years, and it has helped shape the course of civilization. At times, beer has even saved lives. There are so many amazing facts about beer that you probably don’t know – and they’ll definitely give you a deeper appreciation for this magical elixir.

Beer is made up of barley, hops, yeast, and water. All variations of beer are derived from this basic formula, from the darkest stout to the lightest pilsner. Sometimes other grains, such as wheat, are used instead of barley, and sometimes additional “adjuncts” (like fruit, chocolate, or coffee) are added, but the basic process is still the same: brew, ferment, and drink.

Exactly how beer was invented is unknown, though it is generally considered to have developed alongside cereal agriculture. Grains are staple crops and can grow in more varied climates than grapes. As such, the means to make beer was more widely available than wine.

Before sanitation was properly understood, beer was often used as a replacement for water. Because the water is boiled during the brewing process, any harmful bacteria present in the water is killed. The low alcohol content acts as an additional preservative and it could be transported on ships where it was impossible to keep clean water. For these reasons, beer played a large part in the spread of civilization across the globe. Where humans explored, beer followed. Check out more surprising beer facts below.

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• Eight People Drowned in the 1814 London Beer Flood

Video: YouTube

On October 17, 1814, a three-story-tall vat of porter burst at the Messrs. Henry Meux and Co. brewery. The explosion was so forceful it caused other vats to explode as well. The resulting 570-ton tidal wave of beer knocked down the brick wall of the brewery and flooded the surrounding street and houses.

Two buildings collapsed under the weight of the liquid as it surged down Tottenham Court Road. In total, eight people died during the event.

A court determined the incident to be an “act of God.”

• Germany Has a 500-Year-Old Beer Purity Law

Video: YouTube

In 1516, the Bavarian purity law called the “Reinheitsgebot” was formally passed. The law stipulated that beer would be made with only three ingredients: barley, hops, and water. It was amended to include yeast after Louis Pasteur discovered it in 1857. This law formalized a standard for keeping beer safe and pure for the purpose of consumer protection. It’s still on the books hundreds of years later.

• The Pilgrims Stopped at Plymouth Rock Because They Ran Out of Beer

Photo: rachemicah / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Mayflower had initially intended to sail to Virginia. When it arrived on the rocky shores of Plymouth, MA, the captain of the ship noted that they were running low on beer. In order to ensure that his crew had enough to make the trip back to England, he forced the Pilgrims ashore and made them drink water.

• Straws Were Invented for Drinking Beer

Photo: 27147 / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

In ancient times, beer was drunk through straws to prevent grain hulls from being consumed with the beverage.

• Beer Was Brewed Mostly by Women Throughout History

Photo: Px4u by Team Cu29 / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0

Unlike today, beer was originally brewed primarily by women. While men were hunting, women would gather the ingredients and ferment the beverages. This tradition continued throughout most of human history. During the Middle Ages in Ireland, St. Brigid was not only an abbess but also a brewer. It wasn’t until the industrialization of the brewing process that men began to take on the primary role as brewers.

• Barley-Based Beer Was Invented by Sumerians in Mesopotamia Over 5,000 Years Ago

Video: YouTube

Ceramic vessels dating back to 3,400 BCE have been unearthed in Mesopotamia with sticky beer residue on them. The “Hymn to Ninkasi” is an ode to the Sumerian goddess of beer, and dates back to around 1800 BCE. Dogfish Head has recreated a similar beer called “Midas Touch,” which is based on ingredients found in a 2,700-year-old drinking vessel that was discovered in the tomb of King Midas.

• 17th-Century Catholic Monks Invented an All-Beer Diet for Lent

Photo: Sarah McDevitt / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

In 1634, the Paulaner monks of Neudeck ob der Au invented a beer so malty and thick that they nicknamed it “liquid bread.” For the entire 46 days of Lent they drank only this beer and water. It was believed that the beer would cleanse the body and soul in preparation for Easter.

This beer was the original doppelbock and is sold under the name Paulaner Salvator.

• Georgia Colonists Were Given 44 Gallons of Beer in Their Welcome Package

Photo: Internet Archive Book Images / flickr / No known copyright restrictions

Georgia started out as a work colony for those in debtors’ prison. As such, prisoners were sent to Georgia to work off their debts. The only problem was that there were many rules, including “no alcohol,” which was a problem, because the only local water source was contaminated. After many struggles in the early days of the colony, the “no alcohol” rule was lifted. In order to give the colonists a sanitary source of drinking water, Major William Horton decided to start issuing welcome packages, which included 44 gallons of beer brewed at Jekyll Island.

• Yeast Wasn’t Discovered Until 1857

Video: YouTube

Despite being used in the brewing process for over a millennium, yeast was first discovered by Louis Pasteur, who invented the pasteurization process, in 1857. During his research on fermentation, he discovered that live yeast was responsible for converting sugar into alcohol.

• Homebrewing Was Illegal from 1919 to 1978

Photo: wallyg / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

From the start of prohibition, homebrewing was illegal on the federal level. In 1978, Jimmy Carter signed a law that allowed households to brew up 200 gallons of beer, tax-free. However, additional state and local restrictions still apply.

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• In the 13th Century, Some Children Were Baptized in Beer

Photo: Didgeman / Pixabay / CC0 1.0

When water was in short supply, people would actually use beer to baptize children. It was widespread enough that Pope Gregory IX officially decreed that using beer in baptism made the ceremony invalid.

• The Oldest Known Beer Recipe Is 9,000 Years Old, and a Brewery Recreated It

Video: YouTube

Chateau Jiahu is a brew that Dogfish Head Brewing pieced together from the oldest known beer recipe. Dogfish Head was able to deduce the recipe from excavated pottery jars with the help of biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The recipe dates back to the neolithic Chinese village of Jiahu and is the oldest known fermented recipe.

• During Prohibition, Yuengling Started Selling Ice Cream

Video: YouTube

After the passage of the 18th Amendment, America’s oldest brewery (the Eagle Brewery, which makes Yuengling) decided to open up an ice cream plant. In 1930, it started processing and distributing milk. Even after the end of prohibition, the company kept producing ice cream until 1985. In 2014, the company reintroduced Yuengling’s Ice Cream.

• The India Pale Ale Was Invented to Survive Long Sea Voyages

Photo: Modman / Pixabay / CC0 1.0

The British Empire needed a way to transport its “bitters” (a.k.a. pale ales) from London to its colony in India. The solution: more hops and alcohol. In 1790, George Hogeson of the Bow Brewery created a new recipe that seriously upped the hops and alcohol content of the bitter.

The beer was also dry-hopped, meaning that hops were added after brewing, and the casks were primed with sugar to keep the beer fermenting on the long trip. The known preservative properties of the hops and alcohol worked, and the IPA was born.

• Arthur Guinness Signed a 9,000-Year Lease on St. James’s Gate

Photo: Melkir / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

On December 31, 1759, Arthur Guinness leased the run-down brewery located at St. James Gate, Dublin, for £100 down and £45 per year.

The term of the lease was set at 9,000 years. The compound was near the river Liffey and originally spanned four acres. It contained a brewhouse, grist mill, stables, and two malt houses. By 1833 it was the largest brewery in Ireland, and by the 1880s, it was the largest brewery in the world.

• In WWII, British Soldiers Were Given a Pint of Guinness to Have with Christmas Dinner

Photo: jackmac34 / Pixabay / CC0 1.0

In 1939, Guinness promised to deliver every British soldier fighting on the front line a pint of the stout to enjoy with Christmas dinner. With the help of staff from other breweries, they made good on their promise.

• Yuengling Sent Beer to the White House to Celebrate the End of Prohibition

Photo: nate.stevens / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

In 1933, Yuengling actually shipped a truckload of “Winner Beer” to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate the passage of the 21st Amendment.

• Guinness Built Its Own Railway to Transport Beer from the Brewery

Photo: Nico Kaiser / flickr / CC-BY 2.0

By the 1870s, Guinness needed a way to transport material between the upper brewhouse and the river Liffey. Chief engineer Samuel Geoghegan created two intersecting rail systems: one narrow gauge to fit through the existing buildings, and one standard to interchange with the Great Southern & Western Railway. To solve the problem presented by the 50-foot change in elevation, he built a spiral tunnel.

• The Oldest Drinkable Beer Is 200 Years Old

Video: YouTube

In 2010, a sealed bottle of beer was discovered in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. The wreckage dated back to 1800-1830, and the beer has since been sampled by scientists hoping to re-create the recipe.

• Brewing Sticks Were Handed Down as Family Heirlooms

Photo: aoropallo / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0

The wooden stick used to stir beer would have yeast cultures grow on it. Before the discovery of yeast, this magic stick would cause the beer to ferment. By using a single stick batch after batch, the brewer could ensure, unbeknownst to him, that a single strain of yeast could be used again and again.

• George Washington Had a Recipe for Beer

Photo: WikimediaImages / Pixabay / CC0 1.0

George Washington’s memorandum for the autumn of 1757 included a recipe for something he called “Small Beer.” The first president also adopted a “buy American” stance about beer during his term.

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