For those of you who are interested in the history of craft beer

INTRODUCTION TO CRAFT BREWERIES

The oldest surviving recipe in the world can be found on a 3,800 year-old clay tablet, as part as a hymn to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of brewing. The recipe? For beer of course! It is believed that beer was the original motivation for planting the first wheat crops, not for baking bread as initially suggested. For millennia since, beer has inspired progress, and is responsible for some of earth’s greatest achievements; including math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and has altogether helped shape America into the country it is today.

 Beer has evolved since the beginning of time. Once brewed with herbs and spices, and then prayed upon until the start of fermentation (fermentation was called “God is good”), brewers today understand the science behind the craft, and beer has been retooled to [traditionally], include water, grains, hops, and yeast.

 Styles are generally lumped into two main categories: lagers and ales. These styles are dependent on the type of yeast selected and the temperatures at which they are fermented. Lagers are cold fermented. Ales are warm fermented. Prior to the advent of refrigeration, these characteristics dictated the brewing schedule, and ales and lagers were brewed according to the season.

The first half of the 20^th century saw periods of prohibition of alcoholic beverages in several countries. Much of the impetus for the movement in the Nordic countries and North America came from moralistic convictions of pietistic Protestants. Prohibition movements in the West coincided with the advent of women's suffrage, with newly empowered women as part of the political process strongly supporting policies that curbed alcohol consumption.

 After several years, prohibition became a failure in North America and elsewhere, as bootlegging became widespread and organized crime took control of the distribution of alcohol. Distilleries and breweries in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean flourished as their products were either consumed by visiting Americans or illegally exported to the United States. Chicago became notorious as a haven for prohibition dodgers during the time known as the Roaring Twenties. Prohibition generally came to an end in the late 1920s or early 1930s in most of North America and Europe, although a few locations continued prohibition for many more years.

The years following prohibition brought low alcohol, nearly tasteless lagers to the market. The largest macro-breweries were seemingly competing to have the lightest--what they colloquially referred to as “less filling”--beer possible. Adjuncts such as rice and corn replaced much of the grain, and the hops where seemingly waved past the beer. This product was cheap and non-offending to most, but largely unpalatable to beer aficionados. Instead of selling beer by it merits in taste, the macros convinced consumers through clever marketing that their product was cool. The macros brought us such gimmicks as the Clydesdale Horses, the talking frogs, cold-activated cans (as if it is no longer possible to determine adequate refrigeration by sense of touch), the vented widemouth can, and so on.

Today is different and the beer revolutuion has begun! Small, traditional, and independent breweries are bringing back the flavorful beers of our forefathers. New styles and techniques abound.

The consumer’s palette has become more sophisticated and they desire unique and robust tastes in beer. With the increased interest in beer came an increased interest in variety. Books, magazines, and internet sites devoted to beer have gained popularity as beer drinkers choose to learn more about the beer and the brewing process. Beer connoisseurs are learning which beer pairs well with which food. Seasonal flavors appeal to unique tastes and add to the allure of specialty beer. With certainty, the craft brewing movement is not a fad, but a fixture.

 

Without the craft beer industry this wouldn't have been possible.