The Egyptians and Sumerians were already brewing beer in 3,000 B.C., which at that time was more widespread than wine. In the 12th century B.C. Egyptian King Ramses III provided 36,000 litres of wine and 57,000 litres of beer to his construction workers annually. During the Middle Ages the monks of St. Gallen were entitled to four litres of beer a day. For many people beer wasn’t just a drink, but a means of nourishment. People still like to refer to beer as “liquid bread”. However, one must assume that beer at that time did not have such a high alcohol content as ours does today and that it was flavoured with herbs and spices.

The year 1516 was crucial for what we call beer today: On 23rd April of that year Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV and his younger brother, Ludwig X, proclaimed the purity law for beer at the Landständetag (gathering of representatives of nobility, prelates and delegates from cities and markets) in Ingolstadt. In accordance with this law beer in Germany may only be brewed using barley (malt), hops and water.

And the principle of making beer has changed little to the present day: Ground barley malt is mixed with warm water and slowly heated to 90° Celsius in a mash tun. By doing so, the starch contained in the corn turns into sugar and long-chain protein structures are split into short ones, improving the subsequent shelf life of the beer. After the insoluble materials have been removed the remaining liquid, known as wort, is boiled together with the hops. This is done to sterilise the wort, to release bitterness from the hops and to attain the desired original gravity. After the wort is cooled yeast and oxygen are added to it. The actual fermenting process now begins in which sugar is transformed into alcohol. Depending on the type of yeast used and the temperature at which fermentation proceeds, this is referred to as top-fermented or bottom-fermented beer. Top-fermented beer such as Kölsch, alt beer, wheat beer or stout is brewed at approx. 25° Celsius, bottom-fermented beer such as Pilsner, bock beer or lager is fermented at approx. 5° Celsius. The brewing process is completed after five to ten days. The almost finished beer is filtered and stored for six to eight weeks at 2° Celsius.

No one knows exactly how many different types of beer are brewed in Germany. Estimates run to 6,000 (!) or so. New ones are added every day and others disappear. This also applies to the number of breweries. According to the German Brewers Association, in 2006 there were 1,284 beer manufacturers in Germany, producing 107 million hectolitres of beer. Worldwide approx. 250 billion half-litre bottles of beer are emptied annually, almost 4,000 litres per hour. Most of it certainly flows down thirsty throats, but some is used in cooking. The most well-known and widespread uses are doubtlessly beer soup and beer batter. Yet there are many other dishes that can handle a drink of beer: Goulash, for instance, has a slightly tarter taste to it when quenched with dark beer. Beer gives pickled herring a tingly note and Berliner Weiße can be used to whip up a splendid sorbet.

Cheers!