Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179), was not only the first to add hops to beer; she was also a doctor, philosopher, composer, poet, adviser to the Pontiff, Kings and other dignitaries. She was one of the first to defend women’s rights and wrote the first literature on the female orgasm.
She was a Nun of this, a Nun of that and a Nun of the other.
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The oldest brewery still brewing is Weihenstephan Abbey in Germany. It has been producing beer for almost 1000 years and continues to brew beers to this day, although it is no longer officially an abbey.
Brewing for 1000 years? That concoction must be ready now, surely!
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In brewing abbeys during the Middle Ages, fasting monks were allowed to drink five liters of beer per day. That’s almost 5 liters!
Give us today our liquid bread. 5 a day. So much liquid toast is an unholy hangover.
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The ancient Babylonians were so demanding about maintaining good standards of beer quality that brewers producing naff beer were drowning in it.
Too slow.
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The first consumer protection law ever written was for beer. On April 23, 1516, beer-loving Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria introduced a piece of legislation called the Reinheitsgebot. It was a brewing purity law that limited beer ingredients to just barley, hops, yeast, and water. It still exists today, some 500 years later, but unfortunately only in Bavaria.
The duke rummaged through his urn to see the synthetic flavorings, E numbers, and colorings used in some of the most dubious beers of modern times.
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The women of the Inca tribes brew a form of beer called Chicha. It’s made from corn, but instead of barley starches being turned into fermentable sugars using barley’s own alpha and beta amylase enzymes, Chicha uses the enzyme salivary amylase from, yes, salivary to break down those corn starches. The village women chew the corn and then SPIT it into the mash pot, their saliva helping to convert the corn starches into fermentable sugars.
Sounds lovely.
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The workers of the Egyptian pyramids were paid in part with beer. The beer was called “kash” and this is where the word “cash” originates from.
What would you like Kash or Czech?
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The Bass Beers triangular logo was the world’s first trademark. A devoted Bass employee stayed out of the recorder’s office all night on New Year’s Eve 1876, only for Bass to be first in line when the office opened in the morning. This famous logo can be seen in paintings by Manet and Picasso.
That beats TV advertising in style.
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In America, the Pilgrims planned to go further south to warmer climes, but landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer.
I wonder who owned the liquor store.
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The American national anthem, ‘The Star Spangled Banner’, was originally an old English drinking song from a famous London men’s club. It was previously called ‘To Anacreon in Heaven’ and the original words were a dedication to the ancient Greek bard who wrote songs and poetry celebrating alcohol, women and song.
I’ll toast to that. HIC!
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At any given time, an estimated 0.7% of the entire world is drunk.
I’ll drink for it! HIC!
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In medieval England, beer was served with breakfast.
I’m going to HIC to that! To drink!
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George Washington owned his own brewery.
Is that the First Lady? No, she is the thirst, ma’am.
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Old world English drinkers often brought their own mugs of ale to the pub. Some had whistles on the handles so that in noisy bars the drinker could get the attention of the bar staff. Therefore, the term for having a beer is “wetting the whistle”.
I prefer to lower my whistle.
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In 1814, an exploding vat of beer destroyed a brewery and two houses. 100,000 gallons of beer flooded neighboring London streets and several unfortunate people lost their lives.
It gives a whole new meaning to having a head in your beer.
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Guinness scientists claim that a pint of beer rises about ten times, with about 0.56 ml being lost to drinkers’ facial hair each time. In fact, Britain alone loses 92,749 liters of beer every year to mustaches and beards.
That’s why I always wring out my beard before putting down my glass.
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Stella Artois used to be called simply ‘Artois’. He acquired the addition ‘Stella’ (meaning Star) because that was the name of his popular Christmas beer.
They wished that he could be Chrisrmas every day. Judging by the sales figures, it has been.
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The Scaffold’s hit song ‘Lily The Pink’ was about the supposed effect of hallucinations from alcoholism (pink elephants). One of the vocalists for the songs was Sir Tim Rice, famous lyricist from Broadway to Disney.
Luckily, hers is a unique foray into singing. Don’t call us, we call you.
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In 1948, the Luxembourg branch of Alcoholics Anonymous had only 2 members.
Something tells me there were other alcoholics out there, but they were far from anonymous.
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The 1974 annual dinner and dance for the Belfast branch of Alcoholics Anonymous turned into a major brawl after bar staff served recovering alcoholics almost £400 worth of alcoholic beverages.
Someone for punch?