This beer was so thick, in fact, that it was drunk through straws to prevent sediment from entering the drinkers mouth.
Beer in The Past
The development of bread-baking and beer-brewing went hand in hand, and some believe that these two inventions provided the bedrock upon which humanity built civilization.
The term ‘beer’ is officially used to describe a drink brewed from cereal grain. Hops help preserve beer for longer periods and impart the characteristic bitter flavour. The more hops you add, the more bitter the beer.
Most modern beer-drinkers are accustomed to buying their beer from shops or bars. Home brewing is considered a hobby.
But, in the past, beer-brewing was commonplace in households throughout Europe. Beer brewing rendered water safe to drink and, before the introduction of soft drinks and hot beverages like tea and coffee, beer was consumed in vast quantities. Elizabeth the first is said to have drunk a quart of beer with her breakfast every morning.
Most beer brewed in households was ’small beer’, with low alcoholic content. Stronger beers were used for merrymaking.
Modern Beers
Modern beers are classified according to brewing process/ fermentation methods. They fall into two categories, ales or lagers.
- Dark beers, referred to as porters, stouts and some bocks, are almost black in colour, and are generally classed as ales. A classic example is Guinness. They are usually high in alcohol content and bitterness. The darkness is due to the roasting of a portion of the malt in the brewing process. However, some Bocks are very pale in colour and Bocks are not brewed with roasted malt. Bocks are classed as lagers.
- Lagers are beers which are fermented with yeast that works at cool temperatures before being placed in cold storage. The fermentation is more complete with lagers, producing a cleaner, drier beer, although some variants of Bock are mild and sweet to the taste.
- Pilsners were originally brewed in the 19th century in Pilsen, Czech Republic, and were renowned for their clarity and golden colour. Hops are added late in the brewing process, imparting a dry and bitter flavour.
Ales or 'real ales' are fermented at a warm temperature and the yeast rises to the top of the barrel. Ales do not mature for very long and usually have a complex, fruity aroma and palate.
A few things to remember about beer;
- Beer is affected by light - direct sunlight can ruin the flavour of a beer in a relatively short space of time. That’s why most beers are packaged in dark green or brown glass bottles.
- Beer loses it’s freshness more quickly in a warm environment. This in turn affects the flavour, and apart from recipes like mulled ale, few would appreciate the change in flavour brought about by exposure to heat.
- Beer is beneficial to health, when consumed in moderate quantities.
- It is the protein in the malt which gives beer it’s head. The head can be spoilt if the beer is served in an unclean glass, or a glass with soapy residue.
- A properly poured pint of Guinness should have no discernable bubbles in the foam of it’s head.
- A moderate quantity of alcohol stimulates the appetite.
- Contrary to popular belief, beer does not contain sufficient protein and carbohydrates to produce a ‘beer belly’. Alcohol does contain high amounts of calories, but one would have to consume staggeringly vast - and unhealthy - quantities before one developed a paunch attributed solely to beer drinking. In a study conducted with almost 2000 Czechs - big beer drinkers - the possible link between obesity and beer drinking proved to be, at best, a weak one. Beer drinkers paunches are usually the result of bad eating habits and insufficient exercise.
- It was customary to baptize children with beer in the 13th century.
Resources:
Beer Bellies a Myth?
Andrea Nichol
Marty Nachel
Lost Crafts Rediscovering Traditional Skills,
Una McGovern,
Chambers Harrap Publishing Limited, 2008
