Beer is one of the oldest man-made beverages. It may have first been produced in Ancient China as early as 7,000 B.C. Archeologists have found beer residue in pottery from that time period. It was more like mead than beer and had rice, honey, or fruit as ingredients. The first beverage that could be called beer was probably invented by the Sumerians in the Fertile Crescent. It was made from barley. Around 1,800 B.C., the poem “Hymn to Ninkasi” was addressed to the Goddess of Beer. It has a recipe for beer.
“Ninkasi, You are the one who handles the dough with a big shovel….you are the one who waters the malt set on the ground. … You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar, the waves rise, the waves fall…You are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats, coolness overcomes.”
The invention of beer coincides with the Neolithic Revolution. Some even believe the brewing of beer started the revolution. But probably it came about from the domestication of grains which led to the fateful discovery that wet barley would ferment. Some daring soul drank it and wanted more. Beer quickly became popular in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Hammurabi Code called for a daily beer ration for citizens. Pottery had depictions of people drinking out of the same vessel using reed straws. The clinking of beer glasses is a throwback to drinking from the same vessel. Beer became associated with social gathering. It was also safer than drinking water and more nutritious. Beer was a big part of Ancient Egyptian society. It fueled the building of the pyramids as the workers were given a daily beer ration. It was used for wages and payments. It became associated with friendship and hospitality. The Egyptians considered it to be a gift from Osiris and was used in religious rituals. The goddess Hather was associated with beer and drunkenness. Egyptians considered it rude to leave a party sober. Pharaohs were buried with jars of beer. The Egyptians flavored it with mandrake, dates, olive oil, carrots, bog myrtle, hemp, and cheese. There were at least 17 flavors with names like “the joy bringer” and “the plentiful”.
The Greeks and Romans were not beer drinkers. They looked at it as the drink of barbarians. They preferred wine. The Romans encouraged its brewing in areas of the Empire where the climate was not conducive to growing grapes. In the Middle Ages, monks discovered that brewing beer with hops resulted in a better and more durable product. The monasteries brewed it for their own nutrition (it was not banned during fasting) and to trade. It was also served to travelers who stopped for lodging. By the way, it is a myth that medieval people drank beer because of a shortage of clean water. The Industrial Revolution made brewing more efficient. Steam power and refrigeration made large scale brewing possible. The thermometer and hydrometer made the process more scientific.
https://www.history.com/news/who-invented-beer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_beer
https://www.thecollector.com/history-of-beer-facts/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/643219/beer-history
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