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{{short description|Alcoholic drink made from fermented cereal grains}}
{{Short description|Alcoholic drink made from fermented cereal grains}}
{{About|the alcoholic drink}}
{{About|the alcoholic drink}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}{{Use British English|date=September 2016}}
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{{Infobox drink
| name = Beer
| image = File:GravityTap.jpg
| image_alt =
| caption = [[Schlenkerla]] Rauchbier, a traditional [[smoked beer]], being poured from a [[cask]] into a [[Beer glassware|beer glass]]
| type =
| abv =
| proof =
| manufacturer =
| distributor =
| origin =
| introduced =
| discontinued =
| colour =
| flavour =
| ingredients = [[Cereal]] grains, [[starch]]
| variants =
| related =
| website =
| region =
}}


[[File:GravityTap.jpg|thumb|[[Schlenkerla]] Rauchbier, a traditional [[smoked beer]], being poured from a [[cask]] into a [[Beer glassware|beer glass]]]]
'''Beer''' is one of the oldest<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Alchemy of Culture: Intoxicants in Society|author=Richard Rudgley|isbn=978-0714117362|year=1993|publisher=British Museum Press|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Origin and History of Beer and Brewing: From Prehistoric Times to the Beginning of Brewing Science and Technology|author=John P Arnold|isbn=978-0-9662084-1-2|year=2005|publisher=Reprint Edition by BeerBooks|location=Cleveland, Ohio}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Ben McFarland|title=World's Best Beers: One Thousand Craft Brews from Cask to Glass|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SHh-4M_QxEsC&pg=PA10|year=2009|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4027-6694-7|page=10}}</ref> and most widely consumed<ref>{{Cite web|title=Volume of World Beer Production|work=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#production|access-date=17 October 2006}}</ref> [[alcoholic drink]]s in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after [[water]] and [[tea]].<ref>{{Cite book
'''Beer''' is an [[Alcoholic beverage|alcoholic]] [[beverage]] produced by the [[brewing]] and [[Fermentation (food)|fermentation]] of [[starch]]es from [[cereal]] grain—most commonly [[malt]]ed [[barley]], although [[wheat]], [[maize]] (corn), [[rice]], and [[oat]]s are also used. The grain is mashed to convert [[starch]] in the grain to [[sugar]]s, which dissolve in water to form [[wort]]. Fermentation of the wort by [[yeast]] produces [[ethanol]] and [[carbonation]] in the beer. Beer is one of the oldest [[alcoholic drinks]] in the world, the most widely consumed, and the third most popular drink after water and [[tea]]. Most modern beer is brewed with [[hops]], which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural [[preservative]] and [[stabilizing agent|stabilising agent]]. Other flavouring agents, such as [[gruit]], herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xul0O_SI1MC&q=most+consumed+beverage&pg=PA1
|title=The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-31121-2|page=1|author= Max Nelson}}</ref> It is produced by the [[brewing]] and [[Fermentation (food)|fermentation]] of [[starch]]es, mainly derived from [[cereal]] grains—most commonly from [[malt]]ed [[barley]], though [[wheat]], [[maize]] (corn), [[rice]], and [[oats]] are also used. During the brewing process, [[Brewing#Fermenting|fermentation]] of the [[starch]] [[sugar]]s in the [[wort]] produces [[ethanol]] and [[carbonation]] in the resulting beer.<ref name="Barth 2014">Barth, Roger. ''The Chemistry of Beer: The Science in the Suds'', Wiley 2013: {{ISBN|978-1-118-67497-0}}.</ref> Most modern beer is brewed with [[hops]], which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural [[preservative]] and [[stabilizing agent]]. Other flavouring agents such as [[gruit]], herbs, or fruits may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, the natural [[carbonation]] effect is often removed during processing and replaced with forced carbonation.<ref name=carbonated>{{cite web|url=http://beer.about.com/od/commercialbeers/f/fizz.htm|title=How Beer Is Carbonated and Why Is Beer Fizzy?|access-date=31 December 2016}}</ref>


Beer is [[Beer distribution|distributed]] in bottles and cans, and is commonly available on [[Draught beer|draught]] in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant [[Multinational corporation|multinational companies]] and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from [[Microbrewery#Brewpub|brewpubs]] to [[regional brewery|regional breweries]]. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV).
Some of humanity's earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the [[Code of Hammurabi]] included laws regulating beer and beer parlours,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Beer Before Bread|work=Alaska Science Forum #1039, Carla Helfferich|url=http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html|access-date=13 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509121452/http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html|archive-date=9 May 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "The Hymn to [[Ninkasi]]", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, served as both a prayer and as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people.<ref name="Nin-kasi">{{Cite web|title=Nin-kasi: Mesopotamian Goddess of Beer|work=Matrifocus 2006, Johanna Stuckey|url=http://www.matrifocus.com/SAM06/spotlight.htm|access-date=13 May 2008}}</ref><ref name="sumer">{{Cite book |last1=Black |first1=Jeremy A. |last2=Cunningham |first2=Graham |last3=Robson |first3=Eleanor |author-link3=Eleanor Robson |date=2004 |title=The literature of ancient Sumer |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-926311-0}}</ref>


Some of the earliest writings mention the production and distribution of beer: the [[Code of Hammurabi]] included laws regulating it, while "The Hymn to [[Ninkasi]]", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, contains a recipe for it. Beer forms part of the culture of many nations and is associated with social traditions such as [[beer festival]]s, as well as activities like [[pub crawl]]ing, [[pub quiz]]zes, and [[pub games]].
Beer is distributed in bottles and cans and is also commonly available on [[Draught beer|draught]], particularly in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant [[Multinational corporation|multinational companies]] and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from [[Microbrewery#Brewpub|brewpubs]] to [[regional brewery|regional breweries]]. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV), although it may vary between 0.5% and 20%, with some breweries creating examples of 40% ABV and above.<ref name="BBC News 2010">{{Cite news | title=World's strongest beer reclaimed | website=BBC News | date=16 February 2010 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8517607.stm | access-date=5 August 2015}}</ref>


==Etymology==
Beer forms part of the culture of many nations and is associated with social traditions such as [[beer festival]]s, as well as a rich [[pub]] culture involving activities like [[pub crawl]]ing, [[pub quiz]]zes and [[pub games]].


When beer is distilled, the resulting liquor is a form of [[whisky]].<ref name="Pomranz 2016">{{cite web | last=Pomranz | first=Mike | title=From Brews to Booze: Turning Craft Beer Into Whiskey | website=Eater | date=18 May 2016 | url=https://www.eater.com/drinks/2016/5/18/11693112/beer-whiskey-craft-pa-wheat-ale-arcane | access-date=19 December 2020}}</ref>

==Etymology==
{{see also|Ale#Etymology}}
{{see also|Ale#Etymology}}
[[File:Beowulf - beore.jpg|thumb|left|{{Lang-ang|Beore}} 'beer']]
[[File:Beowulf - beore.jpg|thumb|{{Langx|ang|Beore}} 'beer']]
In early forms of English, and in the Scandinavian languages, the usual word for beer was the word whose Modern English form is ''[[ale]]''.<ref name=":0" />


The word ''beer'' comes into present-day English from [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|bēor}}, itself from [[Common Germanic]]; although the word is not attested in the [[East Germanic]] branch of the language-family, it is found throughout the [[West Germanic]] and [[North Germanic]] dialects (modern [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[German language|German]] {{lang|nl|bier}}, [[Old Norse]] {{lang|non|bjórr}}). The earlier etymology of the word is debated: the three main theories are that the word originates in Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*beuzą}} (putatively from [[Proto-Indo-European]] {{lang|ine-x-proto|*bʰeusóm}}), meaning '[[brewer's yeast]], beer dregs'; that it is related to the word ''[[barley]]''; or that it was somehow borrowed from Latin {{lang|la|bibere}} 'to drink'.<ref>"[https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/16986 beer, n.1.]", ''Oxford English Dictionary Online'', 1st edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1887). Accessed 28 August 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=[[Hjalmar Falk]]|author2=[[Alf Torp]]|title=Wortschatz der germanischen Spracheinheit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yILUGjzSotAC|access-date=2 August 2013|year=1979|publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht|location=Germany|isbn=978-3-525-26405-8|page=276}}</ref><ref name=":0">Christine Fell, ‘[http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/132/ Old English ''Beor''], ''Leeds Studies in English'', n.s., 8 (1975), 76–95.</ref>
In early forms of English and in the Scandinavian languages, the usual word for beer was the word whose Modern English form is ''[[ale]]''.<ref name=Fell-1975-Leeds/> The modern word ''beer'' comes into present-day English from [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|bēor}}, itself from [[Common Germanic]], it is found throughout the [[West Germanic]] and [[North Germanic]] dialects (modern [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[German language|German]] {{lang|nl|bier}}, [[Old Norse]] {{lang|non|bjórr}}). The earlier etymology of the word is debated: the three main theories are that the word originates in Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem-x-proto|*beuzą}} (putatively from [[Proto-Indo-European]] {{lang|ine-x-proto|*bʰeusóm}}), meaning '[[brewer's yeast]], beer dregs'; that it is related to the word ''[[barley]],'' or that it was somehow borrowed from Latin {{lang|la|bibere}} 'to drink'.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=beer, n.1. |dictionary=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] Online |edition=1st |place=Oxford, UK |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1887 |url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/16986 |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033209/https://www.oed.com/start;jsessionid=4699266323F0BF6431ED7281B79E085A?authRejection=true&url=%2Fview%2FEntry%2F16986 |archive-date=1 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=Fell-1975-Leeds>{{cite report |last=Fell |first=Christine |year=1975 |title=Beor |department=Old English |series=Leeds Studies in English |volume=8 |pages=76–95 |publisher=[[University of Leeds]] |place=Leeds, UK |url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/132/1/LSE1975_pp76-95_Fell_article.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003111259/http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/132/1/LSE1975_pp76-95_Fell_article.pdf |archive-date=3 October 2020 }}</ref> [[Christine Fell]], in ''[[Leeds Studies in English]]'' (1975), suggests that the Old English/Norse word ''bēor'' did not originally denote ale or beer, but a strong, sweet drink rather like [[mead]] or [[cider]]. Whatever the case, the meaning of ''bēor'' expanded to cover the meaning of ''ale''. When hopped ale from Europe was imported into Britain in the late Middle Ages, it was described as 'beer' to differentiate it from the British unhopped ale, later acquiring a broader meaning.<ref name=Fell-1975-Leeds/>


== History ==
In Old English and Old Norse, the ''beer''-word did not denote a malted alcoholic drink like ale, but a sweet, potent drink made from honey and the juice of one or more fruits other than grapes, much less ubiquitous than ale, perhaps served in the kind of tiny drinking cups sometimes found in early medieval grave-goods: a drink more like [[mead]] or [[cider]]. In German, however, the meaning of the ''beer''-word expanded to cover the meaning of the ''ale''-word already before our earliest surviving written evidence. As German hopped ale became fashionable in England in the late Middle Ages, the English word ''beer'' took on the German meaning, and thus in English too ''beer'' came during the early modern period to denote hopped, malt-based alcoholic drinks.<ref name=":0" />


==History==
{{Main|History of beer}}
{{Main|History of beer}}
[[File:EMS-89615-Rosecrucian-Egyptian-BeerMaking.jpg|thumb|left|Egyptian wooden model of beer making in ancient Egypt, [[Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum]], [[San Jose, California]]]]


=== Prehistory ===
Beer is one of the world's oldest prepared alcoholic drinks. The earliest archaeological evidence of fermentation consists of 13,000-year-old residues of a beer with the consistency of gruel, used by the semi-nomadic [[Natufian]]s for ritual feasting, at the [[Raqefet Cave]] in the [[Carmel Mountains]] near [[Haifa]] in [[Israel]].<ref>{{Cite news |title='World's oldest brewery' found in cave in Israel, say researchers |journal=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45534133 |access-date=15 September 2018 |date=15 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='13,000-year-old brewery discovered in Israel, the oldest in the world |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/13000-year-old-brewery-discovered-in-israel-the-oldest-in-the-world/ |newspaper=The Times of Israel |access-date=16 September 2018 |date=12 September 2018}}</ref> There is evidence that beer was produced at [[Göbekli Tepe]] during the [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic]] (around 8500 BC to 5500 BC).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dietrich |first1=Oliver |last2=Heun |first2=Manfred |last3=Notroff |first3=Jens |last4=Schmidt |first4=Klaus |last5=Zarnkow |first5=Martin |title=The role of cult and feasting in the emergence of Neolithic communities. New evidence from Göbekli Tepe, south-eastern Turkey |journal=Antiquity |date=September 2012 |volume=86 |issue=333 |pages=674–695 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00047840 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The earliest clear chemical evidence of beer produced from [[barley]] dates to about 3500–3100 BC, from the site of [[Godin Tepe]] in the [[Zagros Mountains]] of western [[Iran]].<ref name="McGovern 2009">McGovern, Patrick, ''Uncorking the Past'', 2009, {{ISBN|978-0-520-25379-7}}. pp. 66–71.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/05/world/jar-in-iranian-ruins-betrays-beer-drinkers-of-3500-bc.html|title=Jar in Iranian Ruins Betrays Beer Drinkers of 3500 B.C.|work=The New York Times|access-date=10 November 2010|date=5 November 1992}}</ref> It is possible, but not proven, that it dates back even further—to about 10,000 BC, when cereal was first [[History of agriculture|farmed]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.livescience.com/32424-when-was-beer-invented.html|title=Live Science.com&nbsp;– When Was Beer Invented?|date=18 January 2013|publisher=livescience.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref> Beer is recorded in the written history of [[Mesopotamia|ancient Iraq]] and [[ancient Egypt]],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-66615/beer|title=Beer|encyclopedia=Britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Homan |first1=Michael M. |title=Beer and Its Drinkers: An Ancient Near Eastern Love Story |journal=Near Eastern Archaeology |date=June 2004 |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages=84–95 |doi=10.2307/4132364 |jstor=4132364 |s2cid=162357890 }}</ref> and archaeologists speculate that beer was instrumental in the formation of civilizations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/archeologists-link-rise-of-civilization-and-beers-invention/|title=Archeologists Link Rise of Civilization and Beer's Invention|work=CBS News|access-date=10 November 2010|date=8 November 2010}}</ref> Approximately 5000 years ago, workers in the city of [[Uruk]] (modern day Iraq) were paid by their employers with volumes of beer.<ref>George, Alison (22 June 2016). [https://www.newscientist.com/article/2094658-the-worlds-oldest-paycheck-was-cashed-in-beer/ "The world's oldest paycheck was cashed in beer"]. ''[[New Scientist]]''.</ref> During the building of the [[Giza pyramid complex|Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt]], each worker got a daily ration of four to five litres of beer, which served as both nutrition and refreshment that was crucial to the pyramids' construction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-beer-archaeologist-17016372/|title=The Beer Archaeologist|publisher=Smithsonian.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref>


[[File:Stèle Mercenaire syrien 18ème dynastie Neues Museum image éclaircie et perspective corrigée.jpg|thumb|Ancient Egyptian painting, [[18th dynasty]], reign of [[Akhenaten]], {{Circa|1300 BC}}, showing Syrian [[mercenary]] drinking beer through a [[Drinking straw|straw]]. [[Egyptian Museum of Berlin]]]]
Some of the earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer; examples include a prayer to the goddess [[Ninkasi]], known as "The Hymn to Ninkasi",<ref>{{cite journal |author=Prince, J. Dyneley|title=A Hymn to Ninkasi|journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures|volume=33|issue=1|pages=40–44|year=1916|doi=10.1086/369806|doi-access=free}}</ref> which served as both a prayer and a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people, and the ancient advice ("Fill your belly. Day and night make merry") to [[Gilgamesh]], recorded in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'', by the ale-wife [[Siduri]] may, at least in part, have referred to the consumption of beer.<ref>Hartman, L. F. and Oppenheim, A. L., (1950) On Beer and Brewing Techniques in Ancient Mesopotamia. ''Supplement to the Journal of the American Oriental Society'', 10. Retrieved 20 September 2013.</ref> The [[Ebla tablets]], discovered in 1974 in [[Ebla]], [[Syria]], show that beer was produced in the city in 2500 BC.<ref>Dumper, Stanley. 2007, p.141.</ref> A fermented drink using rice and fruit was made in China around 7000 BC. Unlike [[sake]], mold was not used to saccharify the rice (amylolytic fermentation); the rice was probably prepared for fermentation by [[mastication|chewing]] or [[malting]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Fermented beverages of pre- and proto-historic China|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=101|issue=51|pages=17593–8|doi=10.1073/pnas.0407921102|pmid=15590771|pmc=539767|bibcode=2004PNAS..10117593M|last1=McGovern|first1=Patrick E.|last2=Zhang|first2=Juzhong|last3=Tang|first3=Jigen|last4=Zhang|first4=Zhiqing|last5=Hall|first5=Gretchen R.|last6=Moreau|first6=Robert A.|last7=Nuñez|first7=Alberto|last8=Butrym|first8=Eric D.|last9=Richards|first9=Michael P.|last10=Wang|first10=Chen-Shan|last11=Cheng|first11=Guangsheng|last12=Zhao|first12=Zhijun|last13=Wang|first13=Changsui|year=2004|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.echinacities.com/Special/Beer-Festival/Content.aspx?n=3223|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719014915/http://www.echinacities.com/special/Beer-Festival/Content.aspx?n=3223|archive-date=19 July 2009|title=Li Wine: The Beer of Ancient China -China Beer Festivals 2009|publisher=echinacities.com|date=15 July 2009|access-date=21 September 2010}}</ref> During the [[Vedic period]] in [[Ancient India]], there are records of consumption of the beer-like ''[[Sura (alcoholic drink)|sura]]''.<ref name="Eraly2002">{{cite book|author=Abraham Eraly|title=Gem in the Lotus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YokatCwNG90C&pg=PT165|date=23 January 2002|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5118-014-2|page=165}}</ref><ref name="Prakash2005">{{cite book|author=Om Prakash|title=Cultural History of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzpYb5UOeiwC&pg=PA503|access-date=8 October 2013|date=1 January 2005|publisher=New Age International|isbn=978-81-224-1587-2|page=503}}</ref> [[Xenophon]] noted that during his travels, beer was being produced in [[Armenia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/armenia-might-be-one-oldest-and-youngest-beermaking-countries-world-180964860/|title=Armenia Might Be One of the Oldest and Youngest Beer-Making Countries in the World|author=KarineVann}}</ref>


Beer is one of the world's oldest prepared alcoholic drinks.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ben |last=McFarland |year=2009 |title=World's Best Beers: One thousand craft brews from cask to glass |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SHh-4M_QxEsC&pg=PA10 |publisher=[[Sterling Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4027-6694-7 |page=10}}</ref> The earliest archaeological evidence of fermentation consists of 13,000 year-old residues of a beer with the consistency of gruel, used by the semi-nomadic [[Natufian]]s for ritual feasting, at the [[Raqefet Cave]] in the [[Carmel Mountains]] near [[Haifa]] in northern [[Israel]].<ref name="BBC 2018 oldest brewery">{{cite news |title='World's oldest brewery' found in cave in Israel, say researchers |date=15 September 2018 |website=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45534133 |access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=13,000&nbsp;year-old brewery discovered in Israel – the oldest in the world |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/13000-year-old-brewery-discovered-in-israel-the-oldest-in-the-world/ |date=2018-09-12 |last1=Borschel-Dan |first1=Amanda |newspaper=[[The Times of Israel]] |access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> There is evidence that beer was produced at [[Göbekli Tepe]] during the [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic]] (around 8500&nbsp;{{sc|BC}} to 5500&nbsp;{{sc|BC}}).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dietrich |first1=Oliver |last2=Heun |first2=Manfred |last3=Notroff |first3=Jens |last4=Schmidt |first4=Klaus |last5=Zarnkow |first5=Martin |date=September 2012 |title=The role of cult and feasting in the emergence of Neolithic communities. New evidence from Göbekli Tepe, south-eastern Turkey |journal=Antiquity |volume=86 |issue=333 |pages=674–695 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00047840 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The earliest clear chemical evidence of beer produced from [[barley]] dates to about 3500–3100&nbsp;{{sc|BC}}, from the site of [[Godin Tepe]] in the [[Zagros Mountains]] of western [[Iran]].<ref name=McGovern-2009>{{cite book |last=McGovern |first=Patrick |year=2009 |title=Uncorking the Past |isbn=978-0-520-25379-7 |pages=66–71}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Jar in Iranian ruins betrays beer drinkers of 3500 B.C. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/05/world/jar-in-iranian-ruins-betrays-beer-drinkers-of-3500-bc.html |date=1992-11-05 |last1=Wilford |first1=John Noble |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref>
Almost any substance containing sugar can naturally undergo alcoholic fermentation, and can thus be utilized in the brewing of beer. It is likely that many cultures, on observing that a sweet liquid could be obtained from a source of starch, independently invented beer. Bread and beer increased prosperity to a level that allowed time for development of other technologies and contributed to the building of civilizations.<ref name="A History of the World in Six Glasses">{{cite book |author=Tom Standage|title=A History of the World in Six Glasses|year=2006|publisher=Anchor Books|location=Westminster, MD|isbn=978-0-385-66087-7|page=311|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FjLrAAAACAAJ&q=A+history+of+the+world+in+six+glasses}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Scientific American]]|date=May 2007|title=Ale's Well with the World|author=SteveMirsky|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0507-102|volume=296|issue=5|page=102|bibcode=2007SciAm.296e.102M}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Horst Dornbusch|url=http://www.aina.org/ata/20060827151956.htm|title=Beer: The Midwife of Civilization|publisher=Assyrian International News Agency|date=27 August 2006|access-date=21 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/stories/complete-guide-beer.htm|author=[[Roger Protz]]|title=The Complete Guide to World Beer|date=4 December 2004|quote=When people of the ancient world realised they could make bread and beer from grain, they stopped roaming and settled down to cultivate cereals in recognisable communities.|access-date=21 September 2010|archive-date=25 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425062158/http://www.beer-pages.com/stories/complete-guide-beer.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>


=== Early civilisations ===
[[File:François Louis Jaques Paysans fribourgeois au bistrot.jpg|thumb|François Jaques: ''Peasants Enjoying Beer at Pub in Fribourg'' (Switzerland, 1923)]]


Beer is recorded in the written history of [[ancient Egypt]],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Beer |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britanica]] |edition=online |url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-66615/beer |access-date=27 August 2023 |via=Britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Homan |first1=Michael M. |date=June 2004 |title=Beer and its drinkers: An ancient Near Eastern love story |journal=Near Eastern Archaeology |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages=84–95 |doi=10.2307/4132364 |jstor=4132364 |s2cid=162357890 }}</ref> and archaeologists speculate that beer was instrumental in the formation of civilizations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Archeologists link rise of civilization and beer's invention |date=8 November 2010 |website=[[CBS News]] |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/archeologists-link-rise-of-civilization-and-beers-invention/ |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> Approximately 5000&nbsp;years ago, workers in the city of [[Uruk]] (modern day Iraq) were paid by their employers with volumes of beer.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=George |first=Alison |date=22 June 2016 |title=The world's oldest paycheck was cashed in beer |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2094658-the-worlds-oldest-paycheck-was-cashed-in-beer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625140953/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2094658-the-worlds-oldest-paycheck-was-cashed-in-beer/ |archive-date=2016-06-25}}</ref> During the building of the [[Giza pyramid complex|Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt]], each worker got a daily ration of four to five litres of beer, which served as both nutrition and refreshment and was crucial to the pyramids' construction.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Abigail |last=Tucker |date=August 2011 |title=The beer archaeologist |magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]] |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-beer-archaeologist-17016372/ |access-date=30 October 2023 }}</ref>
Beer was spread through Europe by [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] and [[Celts|Celtic]] tribes as far back as 3000 BC,{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} and it was mainly brewed on a domestic scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreherrt.hu/portal/main.php?heading_id=27&article_id=&language=en|title=Beer-history|publisher=Dreher Breweries|access-date=21 September 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709015742/http://www.dreherrt.hu/portal/main.php?heading_id=27&article_id=&language=en|archive-date=9 July 2009}}</ref> The product that the early Europeans drank might not be recognised as beer by most people today. Alongside the basic starch source, the early European beers may have contained fruits, honey, numerous types of plants, spices and other substances such as [[narcotic]] herbs.<ref>Max Nelson, ''The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe'' pp2, Routledge (2005), {{ISBN|0-415-31121-7}}.</ref> What they did not contain was [[hops]], as that was a later addition, first mentioned in Europe around 822 by a Carolingian Abbot<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rMNf-p1mu6AC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=hops+Carolingian+Abbot&source=web&ots=hquU2pyyXK&sig=bymjH2aH8Xc9uzm0rJS4FZc8c2g&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result Google Books] Richard W. Unger, ''Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance'' pp57, University of Pennsylvania Press (2004), {{ISBN|0-8122-3795-1}}.</ref> and again in 1067 by [[abbess]] [[Hildegard of Bingen]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6xul0O_SI1MC&pg=PA110&dq=Abbess+Hildegard+of+Bingen+hops&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U15z21lcPS7K0HO2-Dp3Ju7zi8bgw Max Nelson], ''The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe'' pp110, Routledge (2005), {{ISBN|0-415-31121-7}}.</ref>


Some of the earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer; examples include a prayer to the goddess [[Ninkasi]], known as "The Hymn to Ninkasi",<ref>{{cite journal |last=Prince |first=J. Dyneley |year=1916 |title=A Hymn to Ninkasi |journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=40–44 |doi=10.1086/369806 |doi-access=free}}</ref> which served as both a prayer and a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people, and the ancient advice ("Fill your belly. Day and night make merry") to [[Gilgamesh]], recorded in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'' by the alewife [[Siduri]], may, at least in part, have referred to the consumption of beer.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hartman |first1=L.F. |last2=Oppenheim |first2=A.L. |year=1950 |title=On beer and brewing techniques in ancient Mesopotamia |journal=Supplement to the Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=10}}</ref> The [[Ebla tablets]], discovered in 1974 in [[Ebla]], [[Syria]], show that beer was produced in the city in 2500 BC.<ref>Dumper, Stanley. 2007, p. 141.</ref> A fermented drink using rice and fruit was made in China around 7000 BC. Unlike [[sake]], mould was not used to saccharify the rice (amylolytic fermentation); the rice was probably prepared for fermentation by [[Mastication|chewing]] or [[malting]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McGovern |first1=Patrick E. |last2=Zhang |first2=Juzhong |last3=Tang |first3=Jigen |last4=Zhang |first4=Zhiqing |last5=Hall |first5=Gretchen R. |last6=Moreau |first6=Robert A. |last7=Nuñez |first7=Alberto |last8=Butrym |first8=Eric D. |last9=Richards |first9=Michael P. |last10=Wang |first10=Chen-Shan |last11=Cheng |first11=Guangsheng |last12=Zhao |first12=Zhijun |last13=Wang |first13=Changsui |display-authors=5 |year=2004 |title=Fermented beverages of pre- and proto-historic China |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=101 |issue=51 |pages=17593–17598 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0407921102 |pmid=15590771 |pmc=539767 |bibcode=2004PNAS..10117593M |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Li wine: The beer of ancient China |date=15 July 2009 |series=China Beer Festivals |volume=2009 |website=echinacities.com |url=http://www.echinacities.com/Special/Beer-Festival/Content.aspx?n=3223 |access-date=21 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719014915/http://www.echinacities.com/special/Beer-Festival/Content.aspx?n=3223 |archive-date=19 July 2009}}</ref> During the [[Vedic period]] in [[Ancient India]], there are records of the consumption of the beer-like ''[[Sura (alcoholic drink)|sura]]''.<ref name=Eraly2002>{{cite book |first=Abraham |last=Eraly |year=2002 |title=Gem in the Lotus |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-93-5118-014-2 |page=165 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YokatCwNG90C&pg=PT165}}</ref><ref name="Prakash2005">{{cite book |first=Om |last=Prakash |year=2005 |title=Cultural History of India |publisher=New Age International |isbn=978-81-224-1587-2 |page=503 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzpYb5UOeiwC&pg=PA503 |access-date=8 October 2013}}</ref> [[Xenophon]] noted that during his travels, beer was being produced in [[Armenia]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Karine |last=Vann |date=13 September 2017 |title=Armenia might be one of the oldest and youngest beer-making countries in the world |magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]] |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/armenia-might-be-one-oldest-and-youngest-beermaking-countries-world-180964860/}}</ref>
In 1516, [[William IV, Duke of Bavaria|William IV]], Duke of Bavaria, adopted the ''[[Reinheitsgebot]]'' (purity law), perhaps the oldest food-quality regulation still in use in the 21st century, according to which the only allowed ingredients of beer are water, [[hops]] and barley-[[malt]].<ref>"[http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/492-years-of-good-beer-germans-toast-the-anniversary-of-their-beer-purity-law-a-549175.html 492 Years of Good Beer: Germans Toast the Anniversary of Their Beer Purity Law]". ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' 23 April 2008.</ref> Beer produced before the [[Industrial Revolution]] continued to be made and sold on a domestic scale, although by the 7th century AD, beer was also being produced and sold by European [[monasteries]]. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from [[artisan]]al manufacture to [[Manufacturing|industrial manufacture]], and domestic manufacture ceased to be significant by the end of the 19th century.<ref name="sotp">{{cite book |author=Martyn Cornell|title=Beer: The Story of the Pint|year= 2003|isbn=978-0-7553-1165-1|publisher=Headline}}</ref> The development of [[hydrometer]]s and [[thermometer]]s changed brewing by allowing the brewer more control of the process and greater knowledge of the results.


=== Medieval ===
In 1912, brown bottles began to be used by ''[[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company]]'' of [[Beer in Milwaukee|Milwaukee, Wisconsin]] in the United States. This innovation has since been accepted worldwide and prevents harmful rays from destroying the quality and stability of beer.<ref name="Schlitz">{{Cite web |url=http://www.slahs.org/history/brewery/schlitz/history4.htm |title=Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.: A Chronological History |access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020150826/http://www.slahs.org/history/brewery/schlitz/history4.htm |archive-date=20 October 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


[[File:François Louis Jaques Paysans fribourgeois au bistrot.jpg|thumb|François Jaques: ''Peasants enjoying beer at pub in Fribourg'' (Switzerland, 1923)]]
As of 2007, the brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from [[brewpub]]s to [[regional brewery|regional breweries]].<ref name="market">{{cite news |url= http://biz.yahoo.com/p/bevalcmktd.html|title=Industry Browser&nbsp;— Consumer Non-Cyclical&nbsp;— Beverages (Alcoholic)&nbsp;– Company List|work=Yahoo! Finance|access-date=5 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002045616/http://biz.yahoo.com/p/bevalcmktd.html|archive-date=2 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2006, more than {{convert|133|e9l|e9gal|abbr=off}}, the equivalent of a cube 510 metres on a side, of beer are sold per year, producing total global revenues of US$294.5 billion. In 2010, China's beer consumption hit {{convert|450|e6hl|e9l|abbr=off}}, or nearly twice that of the United States, but only 5 per cent sold were premium draught beers, compared with 50 per cent in France and Germany.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-beer-china-idUSTRE7A20X520111103|title=Analysis: Premium Chinese beer a bitter brew for foreign brands|date=3 November 2011|work=Reuters|access-date=30 June 2017|archive-date=17 December 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131217032328/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/us-beer-china-idUSTRE7A20X520111103|url-status=live}}</ref>


Beer was spread through [[Europe]] by [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] and [[Celts|Celtic]] tribes as far back as 3000 BC, and it was mainly brewed on a domestic scale.<ref name=Nelson-2005>{{cite book |first=Max |last=Nelson |year=2005 |title=The Barbarians' Beverage: A history of beer in ancient Europe |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-31121-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xul0O_SI1MC |pages=1-2, 110, 1025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Beer history |publisher=Dreher Breweries |place=Hungary |url=http://www.dreherrt.hu/portal/main.php?heading_id=27&article_id=&language=en |access-date=21 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709015742/http://www.dreherrt.hu/portal/main.php?heading_id=27&article_id=&language=en |archive-date=9 July 2009}}</ref> The product that the early Europeans drank might not be recognised as beer by most people today. Alongside the basic starch source, the early European beers may have contained fruits, honey, numerous types of plants, spices, and other substances such as [[narcotic]] herbs.<ref name=Nelson-2005/> This mixture was called gruit, where if some were improperly heated could cause hallucinations. The mixture of gruit was different from every brewer. What they did not contain was [[hops]], as that was a later addition, first mentioned in Europe around 822 by a Carolingian Abbot<ref>{{cite book |first=Richard W. |last=Unger |year=2004 |title=Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance |page=57 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=0-8122-3795-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rMNf-p1mu6AC&dq=hops+Carolingian+Abbot&pg=PA57}}</ref> and again in 1067 by [[abbess]] [[Hildegard of Bingen]].<ref name=Nelson-2005/>
A recent and widely publicized study suggests that sudden decreases in barley production due to extreme drought and heat could in the future cause substantial volatility in the availability and price of beer.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-018-0263-1|doi=10.1038/s41477-018-0263-1|title=Decreases in global beer supply due to extreme drought and heat|year=2018|last1=Xie|first1=Wei|last2=Xiong|first2=Wei|last3=Pan|first3=Jie|last4=Ali|first4=Tariq|last5=Cui|first5=Qi|last6=Guan|first6=Dabo|last7=Meng|first7=Jing|last8=Mueller|first8=Nathaniel D.|last9=Lin|first9=Erda|last10=Davis|first10=Steven J.|journal=Nature Plants|volume=4|issue=11|pages=964–973|pmid=30323183|bibcode=2018AGUFMGC31E1301X|s2cid=53085959|access-date=16 October 2018}}</ref>


In 1516, [[William IV, Duke of Bavaria]] adopted the ''[[Reinheitsgebot]]'' (purity law), perhaps the oldest food-quality regulation still in use in the 21st century, according to which the only allowed ingredients of beer are water, [[hops]], and barley-[[malt]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=492&nbsp;years of good beer: Germans toast the anniversary of their beer purity law |date=23 April 2008 |magazine=[[Der Spiegel]] |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/492-years-of-good-beer-germans-toast-the-anniversary-of-their-beer-purity-law-a-549175.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622065706/http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/492-years-of-good-beer-germans-toast-the-anniversary-of-their-beer-purity-law-a-549175.html |archive-date=22 June 2017 }}</ref> Beer produced before the [[Industrial Revolution]] was made and sold on a domestic scale, although by the 7th century AD, beer was also being produced and sold by European [[Monastery|monasteries]]. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from [[artisan]]al to [[Manufacturing|industrial manufacture]], while domestic production ceased to be significant by the end of the 19th century.<ref name=sotp>{{cite book |first=Martyn |last=Cornell |year=2003 |title=Beer: The story of the pint |publisher=Headline |isbn=978-0-7553-1165-1 }}</ref>
==Brewing==
{{Realale Brewing}}
{{Main|Brewing}}


=== Modern ===
The process of making beer is known as brewing. A dedicated building for the making of beer is called a brewery, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of its history, in which case the brewing location is often called a [[brewhouse]]. A company that makes beer is called either a brewery or a [[brewing company]]. Beer made on a domestic scale for non-commercial reasons is today usually classified as [[homebrewing]] regardless of where it is made, though most homebrewed beer is made in the home. Historically, domestic beer was what's called [[farmhouse ale]].


In 1912, brown bottles began to be used by the [[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company]] of [[Beer in Milwaukee|Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], in the United States. This innovation has since been accepted worldwide as it prevents light rays from degrading the quality and stability of beer.<ref name="Schlitz">{{cite web |title=A chronological history |department=Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. |via=slahs.org |url=http://www.slahs.org/history/brewery/schlitz/history4.htm |access-date=16 March 2019 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020150826/http://www.slahs.org/history/brewery/schlitz/history4.htm |archive-date=20 October 2019 }}</ref> The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers, ranging from [[brewpub]]s to [[regional brewery|regional breweries]].<ref name=market>{{cite report |title=Company list |department=Industry browser – consumer non-cyclical – beverages (alcoholic) |series=Finance |website=[[Yahoo!]] |url=http://biz.yahoo.com/p/bevalcmktd.html |access-date=5 November 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002045616/http://biz.yahoo.com/p/bevalcmktd.html |archive-date=2 October 2007}}</ref> As of 2006, more than {{convert|133|e9l|e9gal|abbr=off}} of beer are sold per year, producing global revenues of US$294.5 billion. In 2010, China's beer consumption hit {{convert|450|e9l|e9gal|abbr=off}}, or nearly twice that of the United States, but only 5 per cent sold were premium beers, compared with 50 per cent in France and Germany.<ref>{{cite news |title=Premium Chinese beer a bitter brew for foreign brands |date=3 November 2011 |department=Analysis |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-beer-china-idUSTRE7A20X520111103 |access-date=30 June 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131217032328/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/us-beer-china-idUSTRE7A20X520111103 |archive-date=17 December 2013}}</ref> Beer is the most widely consumed of all alcoholic drinks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Volume of world beer production |website=European Beer Guide |url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#production |access-date=17 October 2006}}</ref> A widely publicised study in 2018 suggested that sudden decreases in barley production due to extreme drought and heat could in the future cause substantial volatility in the availability and price of beer.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Xie |first1=Wei |last2=Xiong |first2=Wei |last3=Pan |first3=Jie |last4=Ali |first4=Tariq |last5=Cui |first5=Qi |last6=Guan |first6=Dabo |last7=Meng |first7=Jing |last8=Mueller |first8=Nathaniel D. |last9=Lin |first9=Erda |last10=Davis |first10=Steven J. |display-authors=5 |year=2018 |title=Decreases in global beer supply due to extreme drought and heat |journal=Nature Plants |volume=4 |issue=11 |pages=964–973 |pmid=30323183 |doi=10.1038/s41477-018-0263-1 |bibcode=2018AGUFMGC31E1301X |s2cid=53085959 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-018-0263-1 |access-date=16 October 2018}}</ref>
Brewing beer has been subject to legislation and taxation for millennia, and from the late 19th century taxation largely restricted brewing to commercial operations only in the UK. However, the UK government relaxed legislation in 1963, followed by Australia in 1972 and the US in 1978,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.homebrew4u.co.uk/news-articles/breaking-homebrewing-law-in-alabama.asp|title=Breaking the Home Brewing Law in Alabama|publisher=Homebrew4u.co.uk|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009023506/http://www.homebrew4u.co.uk/news-articles/breaking-homebrewing-law-in-alabama.asp|archive-date=9 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> though individual states were allowed to pass their own laws limiting production,<ref name="ReferenceA">Papazian ''The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (3rd Edition)'', {{ISBN|0-06-053105-3}}</ref> allowing homebrewing to become a popular hobby.


== Brewing ==
The purpose of brewing is to convert the starch source into a sugary liquid called [[wort]] and to convert the wort into the alcoholic drink known as beer in a fermentation process effected by [[Brewer's yeast|yeast]].


=== Process ===
The first step, where the wort is prepared by mixing the starch source (normally malted barley) with hot water, is known as "[[mashing]]". Hot water (known as "liquor" in brewing terms) is mixed with crushed malt or malts (known as "[[grist]]") in a [[mash tun]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/protz-the-brewer.htm|title=Roger Protz tries his hand at brewing|publisher=Beer-pages.com|date=June 2007|access-date=21 September 2010|archive-date=12 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012040702/http://beer-pages.com/protz/features/protz-the-brewer.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The mashing process takes around 1 to 2 hours,<ref>[http://www.abgbrew.com/brewerslog.htm ABGbrew.com] Steve Parkes, ''British Brewing'', American Brewers Guild.</ref> during which the starches are converted to sugars, and then the sweet wort is drained off the grains. The grains are then washed in a process known as "sparging". This washing allows the brewer to gather as much of the fermentable liquid from the grains as possible. The process of filtering the [[brewer's spent grain|spent grain]] from the wort and sparge water is called ''wort separation''. The traditional process for wort separation is [[lautering]], in which the grain bed itself serves as the filter medium. Some modern breweries prefer the use of filter frames which allow a more finely ground grist.<ref>Goldhammer, Ted (2008), ''The Brewer's Handbook'', 2nd ed., Apex, {{ISBN|978-0-9675212-3-7}} pp. 181 ff.</ref>


{{Main|Brewing}}
[[File:The Brewer designed and engraved in the Sixteenth. Century by J Amman.png|thumb|left|upright|A 16th-century brewery]]


[[File:The Brewer designed and engraved in the Sixteenth. Century by J Amman.png|thumb|upright|A 16th-century brewery]]
Most modern breweries use a continuous sparge, collecting the original wort and the sparge water together. However, it is possible to collect a second or even third wash with the not quite spent grains as separate batches. Each run would produce a weaker wort and thus a weaker beer. This process is known as second (and third) runnings. Brewing with several runnings is called parti gyle brewing.<ref>[http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.2/mosher.html Brewingtechniques.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215083558/http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.2/mosher.html |date=15 December 2013 }}, Randy Mosher, "Parti-Gyle Brewing", ''Brewing Techniques'', March/April 1994</ref>


The sweet wort collected from sparging is put into a kettle, or "copper" (so-called because these vessels were traditionally made from copper),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/brewing.html|title=Copper Brewing Vessels|publisher=Msm.cam.ac.uk|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-date=9 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809114905/http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/brewing.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and boiled, usually for about one hour. During boiling, water in the wort evaporates, but the sugars and other components of the wort remain; this allows more efficient use of the starch sources in the beer. Boiling also destroys any remaining enzymes left over from the mashing stage. [[Hops]] are added during boiling as a source of bitterness, flavour and aroma. Hops may be added at more than one point during the boil. The longer the hops are boiled, the more bitterness they contribute, but the less hop flavour and aroma remains in the beer.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-0729-1_15 |chapter=Hop chemistry and wort boiling |title=Brewing |year=2001 |last1=Lewis |first1=Michael J. |last2=Young |first2=Tom W. |pages=259–278 |isbn=978-0-306-47274-9 }}</ref>
The process of making beer is brewing. It converts the grain into a sugary liquid called [[wort]] and then ferments this into beer using [[Brewer's yeast|yeast]]. The first step, mixing malted barley with hot water in a [[mash tun]], is "[[mashing]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/protz-the-brewer.htm|title=Roger Protz tries his hand at brewing|publisher=Beer-pages.com|date=June 2007|access-date=21 September 2010|archive-date=12 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012040702/http://beer-pages.com/protz/features/protz-the-brewer.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The starches are converted to sugars, and the sweet wort is drained off. The grains are washed to extract as much fermentable liquid from the grains as possible.<ref>Goldhammer, Ted (2008), ''The Brewer's Handbook'', 2nd ed., Apex, {{ISBN|978-0-9675212-3-7}} pp. 181 ff.</ref> The sweet wort is put into a kettle, or "copper",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/brewing.html|title=Copper Brewing Vessels|publisher=Msm.cam.ac.uk|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-date=9 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809114905/http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/brewing.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and boiled. [[Hops]] are added as a source of bitterness, flavour, and aroma. The longer the hops are boiled, the more bitterness they contribute, but the less hop flavour and aroma remain.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-0729-1_15 |chapter=Hop chemistry and wort boiling |title=Brewing |year=2001 |last1=Lewis |first1=Michael J. |last2=Young |first2=Tom W. |pages=259–278 |isbn=978-0-306-47274-9 }}</ref> The wort is cooled and the yeast is added. The wort is then fermented, often for a week or longer. The yeast settles, leaving the beer clear.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Chapter 13: Beer Fermentation |chapter-url=http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |title=The Brewers Handbook |publisher=Apex Publishing |first=Ted |last=Goldammer |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-9675212-0-6 |access-date=29 September 2008 |archive-date=27 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027063059/http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> During fermentation, most of the [[carbon dioxide]] is allowed to escape through a [[trap (plumbing)|trap]]. The carbonation is often increased either by transferring the beer to a [[pressure vessel]] and introducing pressurised carbon dioxide or by transferring it before the fermentation is finished so that carbon dioxide pressure builds up inside the container.<ref name=carbonated>{{cite web |title=How beer is carbonated and why is beer fizzy? |department=Commercial Beers |website=about.com |url=http://beer.about.com/od/commercialbeers/f/fizz.htm |access-date=31 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123135205/http://beer.about.com/od/commercialbeers/f/fizz.htm |archive-date=23 January 2017}}</ref>


=== Ingredients ===
After boiling, the hopped wort is cooled, ready for the yeast. In some breweries, the hopped wort may pass through a hopback, which is a small vat filled with hops, to add aromatic hop flavouring and to act as a filter; but usually the hopped wort is simply cooled for the fermenter, where the yeast is added. During fermentation, the wort becomes beer in a process that requires a week to months depending on the type of yeast and strength of the beer. In addition to producing [[ethanol]], fine [[Suspended solids|particulate matter]] suspended in the wort settles during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the yeast also settles, leaving the beer clear.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Chapter 13: Beer Fermentation |chapter-url=http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |title=The Brewers Handbook |publisher=Apex Pub |author=Ted Goldammer |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-9675212-0-6 |access-date=29 September 2008 |archive-date=27 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027063059/http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>


[[File:Sjb whiskey malt.jpg|thumb|[[Malted barley]] before roasting]]
During fermentation most of the [[carbon dioxide]] is allowed to escape through a [[trap (plumbing)|trap]] and the beer is left with carbonation of only about one atmosphere of pressure. The carbonation is often increased either by transferring the beer to a [[pressure vessel]] such as a [[keg]] and introducing pressurized carbon dioxide, or by transferring it before the fermentation is finished so that carbon dioxide pressure builds up inside the container as the fermentation finishes. Sometimes the beer is put unfiltered (so it still contains yeast) into bottles with some [[added sugar]], which then produces the desired amount of carbon dioxide inside the bottle.<ref name=carbonated/>


The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, usually [[malt]]ed [[barley]]; a [[brewer's yeast]] to produce the fermentation; and a flavouring such as [[hops]].<ref>[http://www.alabev.com/ingredie.htm Alabev.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123045417/http://www.alabev.com/ingredie.htm |date=23 January 2016 }} ''The Ingredients of Beer''. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> A mixture of starch sources may be used, with a secondary carbohydrate source, such as maize (corn), rice, wheat, or sugar, often termed an [[adjunct (beer)|adjunct]], especially when used alongside malted barley.<ref>[http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm beer-brewing.com Beer-brewing.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027063059/http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |date=27 October 2007 }} Ted Goldammer, ''The Brewers Handbook'', Chapter 6&nbsp;– Beer Adjuncts, Apex Pub (1 January 2000), {{ISBN|0-9675212-0-3}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008</ref> Less widely used starch sources include [[millet]], [[sorghum]], and [[cassava]] root in Africa; potato in Brazil; and [[agave]] in Mexico.<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000120.html BeerHunter.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204115213/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000120.html |date=4 December 2010 }} Michael Jackson, ''A good beer is a thorny problem down Mexico way'', What's Brewing, 1 October 1997. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref>
Fermentation is sometimes carried out in two stages, primary and secondary. Once most of the alcohol has been produced during primary fermentation, the beer is transferred to a new vessel and allowed a period of [[Brewing#Secondary fermentation|secondary fermentation]]. Secondary fermentation is used when the beer requires long storage before packaging or greater clarity.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-0729-1_17 |chapter=Fermentation—overview, process, and technology |title=Brewing |year=2001 |last1=Lewis |first1=Michael J. |last2=Young |first2=Tom W. |pages=295–317 |isbn=978-0-306-47274-9 }}</ref> When the beer has fermented, it is [[#Packaging|packaged]] either into casks for [[cask ale]] or kegs, [[drink can|aluminium cans]], or bottles for other sorts of beer.<ref>Harold M. Broderick, Alvin Babb, ''Beer Packaging: A Manual for the Brewing and Beverage Industries'', [[Master Brewers Association of the Americas]] (1982)</ref>


[[Water]] is the main ingredient, accounting for 93% of beer's weight.<ref>[https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-pint-a-day--/9706.article "A pint a day..."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827215542/https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-pint-a-day--/9706.article |date=27 August 2017 }} The Royal Society of Chemistry: ''Chemistry World''; 1 December 1996. Retrieved 27 August 2017.</ref> The level of dissolved bicarbonate influences beer's finished taste.<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2015-12-science-beer.html "Questions about the science of beer", by Matt Shipman.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829081127/https://phys.org/news/2015-12-science-beer.html |date=29 August 2017 }} Science X: ''Phys.org''; 3 December 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2017.</ref> Due to the [[mineral]] properties of each [[region]]'s water, specific areas were originally the sole producers of certain types of beer, each identifiable by regional characteristics.<ref name="geot"/> [[Dublin]]'s [[hard water]] is well-suited to making [[stout]], such as [[Guinness]], while the [[Plzeň Region]]'s soft water is ideal for brewing [[Pilsner]], such as [[Pilsner Urquell]].<ref name="geot">{{cite news |url=http://www.agiweb.org/geotimes/aug04/resources.html|title=Geology and Beer|work=Geotimes|date=August 2004|access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref> The waters of [[Burton Bridge Brewery|Burton]] in England contain [[gypsum]], which benefits making [[pale ale]] to such a degree that brewers of pale ale add gypsum in a process known as [[Burtonisation]].<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000098.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619014900/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000098.html|date=19 June 2010}} 19 October 1991, "Brewing a good glass of water". Retrieved 13 September 2008.</ref>
==Ingredients==
[[File:Sjb whiskey malt.jpg|thumb|[[Malted barley]] before roasting]]


The starch source provides the fermentable material and determines the strength and flavour of the beer. The most common starch source used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it to begin [[germination]], and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln. Malting produces enzymes that convert starches into fermentable sugars.<ref>[[s:en:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Brewing/Chemistry|Wikisource]] 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica''/Brewing/Chemistry. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Different roasting times and temperatures produce different colours of malt from the same grain. Darker malts produce darker beers.<ref>[http://www.farm-direct.co.uk/farming/stockcrop/barley/malt.html Farm-direct.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814221734/http://www.farm-direct.co.uk/farming/stockcrop/barley/malt.html |date=14 August 2009 }} Oz, ''Barley Malt'', 6 February 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Nearly all beers use barley malt for most of the starch, as its fibrous hull remains attached to the grain during threshing. After malting, barley is milled, which finally removes the hull, breaking it into large pieces. These pieces remain with the grain during the [[Mashing|mash]] and act as a filter bed during [[lautering]], when sweet [[wort]] is separated from insoluble grain material. Other grains, including wheat, rice, [[oats]], and [[rye]], and less frequently, corn and sorghum may be used. Some brewers have produced [[gluten-free beer]], made with sorghum, for those who cannot consume [[gluten]]-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye.<ref>{{cite web |first=Carolyn |last=Smagalski |year=2006 |url=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39558.asp |title=CAMRA & The First International Gluten Free Beer Festival |publisher=Carolyn Smagalski, Bella Online}}</ref>
The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, such as [[malt]]ed [[barley]], or malted [[maize]] (such as used in the preparation of [[Tiswin]] and [[Tesgüino]]), able to be saccharified (converted to sugars) then fermented (converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide); a [[brewer's yeast]] to produce the fermentation; and a flavouring such as [[hops]].<ref>[http://www.alabev.com/ingredie.htm Alabev.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123045417/http://www.alabev.com/ingredie.htm |date=23 January 2016 }} ''The Ingredients of Beer''. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> A mixture of starch sources may be used, with a secondary carbohydrate source, such as maize (corn), rice, wheat, or sugar, often being termed an [[adjunct (beer)|adjunct]], especially when used alongside malted barley.<ref>[http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm beer-brewing.com Beer-brewing.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027063059/http://www.beer-brewing.com/apex/beer_chapters/ch06_beer_adjuncts.htm |date=27 October 2007 }} Ted Goldammer, ''The Brewers Handbook'', Chapter 6&nbsp;– Beer Adjuncts, Apex Pub (1 January 2000), {{ISBN|0-9675212-0-3}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008</ref> Less widely used starch sources include [[millet]], [[sorghum]] and [[cassava]] root in Africa, and potato in Brazil, and [[agave]] in Mexico, among others.<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000120.html BeerHunter.com] Michael Jackson, ''A good beer is a thorny problem down Mexico way'', What's Brewing, 1 October 1997. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> The amount of each starch source in a beer recipe is collectively called the [[grain bill]].


[[File:Humulus Lupulus Hopfendolde-mit-hopfengarten.jpg|thumb|[[Hops|Hop cone]] in a [[Hallertau]], Germany, hop yard]]
[[Water]] is the main ingredient of beer, accounting for 93% of its weight.<ref>[https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-pint-a-day--/9706.article "A pint a day..."] The Royal Society of Chemistry: ''Chemistry World''; 1 December 1996. Retrieved 27 August 2017.</ref> Though water itself is, ideally, flavorless, its level of dissolved minerals, specifically, bicarbonate ion, does influence beer's finished taste.<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2015-12-science-beer.html "Questions about the science of beer", by Matt Shipman.] Science X: ''Phys.org''; 3 December 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2017.</ref> Due to the [[mineral]] properties of each [[region]]'s water, specific areas were originally the sole producers of certain types of beer, each identifiable by regional characteristics.<ref name="geot"/> Regional [[geology]] accords that [[Dublin]]'s [[hard water]] is well-suited to making [[stout]], such as [[Guinness]], while the [[Plzeň Region]]'s soft water is ideal for brewing [[Pilsner]] ([[pale lager]]), such as [[Pilsner Urquell]].<ref name="geot">{{cite news |url=http://www.agiweb.org/geotimes/aug04/resources.html|title=Geology and Beer|work=Geotimes|date=August 2004|access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref> The waters of [[Burton Bridge Brewery|Burton]] in England contain [[gypsum]], which benefits making [[pale ale]] to such a degree that brewers of pale ales will add gypsum to the local water in a process known as [[Burtonisation]].<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000098.html] 19 October 1991, "Brewing a good glass of water". Retrieved 13 September 2008.</ref>


Flavouring beer is the sole commercial use of [[hops]].<ref>A. H. Burgess, ''Hops: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization'', Leonard Hill (1964), {{ISBN|0-471-12350-1}}</ref> The flower of the [[Humulus lupulus|hop vine]] acts as a flavouring and preservative agent in nearly all beer made today. The flowers themselves are often called "hops". The first historical mention of the use of hops in beer dates from 822 AD in monastery rules written by [[Adalard of Corbie]],<ref name="sotp"/><!-- p62 --><ref name="bmar">{{cite book |first=Richard W. |last=Unger |title=Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance |pages=54–55 |isbn=978-0-8122-3795-5 |year=2004 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia}}</ref> though widespread cultivation of hops for use in beer began in the thirteenth century.<ref name="sotp"/><!-- p63 --><ref name="bmar"/> Before then, beer was flavoured with other plants such as [[grains of paradise]] or ''[[Glechoma hederacea#Cultivation and uses|alehoof]]''. Combinations of aromatic herbs, berries, and even [[Absinth Wormwood|wormwood]] were combined into aflavouring mixture known as [[gruit]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rMNf-p1mu6AC&dq=gruit+beer&pg=PA30 Books.google.co.uk] Richard W. Unger, ''Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance'', University of Pennsylvania Press (2004), {{ISBN|0-8122-3795-1}}. Retrieved 14 September 2008.</ref> Some beers today, such as Fraoch' by the Scottish Heather Ales company use plants other than hops for flavouring.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fraoch.com/historicales.htm |title=Heatherale.co.uk |publisher=Fraoch.com |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629071231/http://www.fraoch.com/historicales.htm |archive-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> and Cervoise Lancelot by the French Brasserie-Lancelot company,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brasserie-lancelot.com/brasserie-lancelot.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819030220/http://www.brasserie-lancelot.com/brasserie-lancelot.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2008 |title=La Brasserie Lancelot est située au coeur de la Bretagne, dans des bâtiments rénovés de l'ancienne mine d'Or du Roc St-André, construits au 19 ème siècle sur des vestiges néolithiques |publisher=Brasserie-lancelot.com |language=fr |access-date=28 September 2008 }}</ref>
The starch source, termed as the "[[mash ingredients]]", in a beer provides the fermentable material and is a key determinant of the strength and flavour of the beer. The most common starch source used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it to begin [[germination]], and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln. Malting grain produces enzymes that convert starches in the grain into fermentable sugars.<ref>[[s:en:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Brewing/Chemistry|Wikisource]] 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica''/Brewing/Chemistry. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Different roasting times and temperatures are used to produce different colours of malt from the same grain. Darker malts will produce darker beers.<ref>[http://www.farm-direct.co.uk/farming/stockcrop/barley/malt.html Farm-direct.co.uk] Oz, ''Barley Malt'', 6 February 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Nearly all beer includes barley malt as the majority of the starch. This is because its fibrous hull remains attached to the grain during threshing. After malting, barley is milled, which finally removes the hull, breaking it into large pieces. These pieces remain with the grain during the [[Mashing|mash]], and act as a filter bed during [[lautering]], when sweet [[wort]] is separated from insoluble grain material. Other malted and unmalted grains (including wheat, rice, [[oats]], and [[rye]], and less frequently, corn and sorghum) may be used. Some brewers have produced [[gluten-free beer]], made with sorghum with no barley malt, for those who cannot consume [[gluten]]-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye.<ref>{{cite web |author=Carolyn Smagalski|year=2006|url=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39558.asp|title=CAMRA & The First International Gluten Free Beer Festival|publisher=Carolyn Smagalski, Bella Online}}</ref>


Hops contribute a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt; the bitterness of beers is measured on the [[International Bitterness Units scale]]. Hops further contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavours. They have an [[antibiotic]] effect that favours the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms, and aids in "[[Head (beer)|head]] retention",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewwiki.com/index.php/Head_Retention |title=Head Retention |publisher=BrewWiki |access-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011144640/http://brewwiki.com/index.php/Head_Retention |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hopsteiner.com/isopg1.htm |title=Hop Products: Iso-Extract |publisher=Hopsteiner |access-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011212319/http://hopsteiner.com/isopg1.htm |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last. The acidity of hops is a preservative.<ref>[http://beer.pdqguides.com/beer-ingredient-hops.html PDQ Guides, ''Hops: Clever Use For a Useless Plan''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016111537/http://beer.pdqguides.com/beer-ingredient-hops.html |date=16 October 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Blanco |first1=Carlos A. |last2=Rojas |first2=Antonio |last3=Caballero |first3=Pedro A. |last4=Ronda |first4=Felicidad |last5=Gomez |first5=Manuel |last6=Caballero |first6=Isabel |title=A better control of beer properties by predicting acidity of hop iso-α-acids |journal=Trends in Food Science & Technology |date=July 2006 |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=373–377 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2005.11.012 }}</ref>
[[File:Hopfendolde-mit-hopfengarten.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hops|Hop cone]] in a [[Hallertau]], Germany, hop yard]]


Yeast is the [[microorganism]] responsible for fermenting beer. It [[metabolism|metabolises]] the sugars, producing [[ethanol]] and [[carbon dioxide]], and thereby turns wort into beer. In addition, yeast influences the character and flavour.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ostergaard |first1=Simon |last2=Olsson |first2=Lisbeth |last3=Nielsen |first3=Jens |title=Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae |journal=Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews |date=1 March 2000 |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=34–50 |doi=10.1128/MMBR.64.1.34-50.2000 |pmid=10704473 |pmc=98985 }}</ref> The dominant types of beer yeast are [[Top-fermenting yeast|top-fermenting]] ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'' and [[bottom-fermenting]] ''[[Saccharomyces pastorianus]]''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0kefSj0_i9sC&dq=types+of+yeast+used+to+make+beer&pg=PA376 Google Books] Paul R. Dittmer, J. Desmond, ''Principles of Food, Beverage, and Labor Cost Controls'', John Wiley and Sons (2005), {{ISBN|0-471-42992-9}}</ref> ''[[Brettanomyces]]'' ferments [[lambic]]s,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DvNhR0xfHtMC&dq=Brettanomyces+lambic&pg=PA221 Google Books] Ian Spencer Hornsey, ''Brewing'' pp&nbsp;221–222, Royal Society of Chemistry (1999), {{ISBN|0-85404-568-6}}</ref> and ''[[Torulaspora delbrueckii]]'' ferments Bavarian [[weissbier]].<ref>[http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2001/torulospora_delbrueckii.htm Web.mst.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809212726/http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2001/torulospora_delbrueckii.htm |date=9 August 2011 }} David Horwitz, ''Torulaspora delbrueckii''. Retrieved 30 September 2008.</ref> Before the role of yeast in fermentation was understood, fermentation involved wild or airborne yeasts. A few styles, such as [[lambics]], rely on this method today, but most modern fermentation adds pure yeast [[Microbiological culture|cultures]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TxCQlmasQh8C&dq=beer+yeast+history&pg=PA847 Google Books] Y. H. Hui, George G. Khachatourians, ''Food Biotechnology'' pp&nbsp;847–848, Wiley-IEEE (1994), {{ISBN|0-471-18570-1}}</ref>
Flavouring beer is the sole major commercial use of [[hops]].<ref>A. H. Burgess, ''Hops: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization'', Leonard Hill (1964), {{ISBN|0-471-12350-1}}</ref> The flower of the [[Humulus lupulus|hop vine]] is used as a flavouring and preservative agent in nearly all beer made today. The flowers themselves are often called "hops". The first historical mention of the use of hops in beer was from 822 AD in monastery rules written by Adalhard the Elder, also known as [[Adalard of Corbie]],<ref name="sotp"/><!-- p62 --><ref name="bmar">{{cite book |author=Richard W Unger|title=Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance|pages=54–55|isbn=978-0-8122-3795-5|year=2004|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|location=Philadelphia}}</ref> though the date normally given for widespread cultivation of hops for use in beer is the thirteenth century.<ref name="sotp"/><!-- p63 --><ref name="bmar"/> Before the thirteenth century, and until the sixteenth century, during which hops took over as the dominant flavouring, beer was flavoured with other plants; for instance, [[grains of paradise]] or ''[[Glechoma hederacea#Cultivation and uses|alehoof]]''. Combinations of various aromatic herbs, berries, and even ingredients like [[Absinth Wormwood|wormwood]] would be combined into a mixture known as [[gruit]] and used as hops are now used.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rMNf-p1mu6AC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=gruit+beer&source=web&ots=hquT_nFAXM&sig=6dIe2vRBBHt-6wKhNfNis4FuGgk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result Books.google.co.uk] Richard W. Unger, ''Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance'', University of Pennsylvania Press (2004), {{ISBN|0-8122-3795-1}}. Retrieved 14 September 2008.</ref> Some beers today, such as Fraoch' by the Scottish Heather Ales company<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fraoch.com/historicales.htm|title=Heatherale.co.uk|publisher=Fraoch.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629071231/http://www.fraoch.com/historicales.htm|archive-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> and Cervoise Lancelot by the French Brasserie-Lancelot company,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brasserie-lancelot.com/brasserie-lancelot.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819030220/http://www.brasserie-lancelot.com/brasserie-lancelot.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2008 |title=La Brasserie Lancelot est située au coeur de la Bretagne, dans des bâtiments rénovés de l'ancienne mine d'Or du Roc St-André, construits au 19 ème siècle sur des vestiges néolithiques |publisher=Brasserie-lancelot.com |access-date=28 September 2008 }}</ref> use plants other than hops for flavouring.


Some brewers add clarifying agents or [[finings]] to beer, which typically [[precipitate]] (collect as a solid) out along with protein solids, and are found only in trace amounts in the finished product. This process makes the beer appear [[Bright beer|bright]] and clean, rather than the cloudy appearance of ethnic and older styles such as [[wheat beer]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000717.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter&nbsp;— A pint of cloudy, please |publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926132813/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000717.html |archive-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clarifying agents include [[isinglass]], from the [[swimbladder]]s of fish; [[Chondrus crispus|Irish moss]], a seaweed; kappa [[carrageenan]], from the seaweed ''[[Kappaphycus cottonii]]''; [[Polyclar]] (artificial); and [[gelatin]].<ref>[http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/536 EFSA.europa.eu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033222/https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/536 |date=1 November 2022 }} ''Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies'', 23 August 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> Beer marked "suitable for vegans" is clarified either with seaweed or with artificial agents.<ref>[http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultationresponse/summrespvegi.pdf Food.gov.uk] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002104412/http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultationresponse/summrespvegi.pdf |date=2 October 2008 }} ''Draft Guidance on the Use of the Terms 'Vegetarian' and 'Vegan' in Food Labelling: Consultation Responses'' pp71, 5 October 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref>
Hops contain several characteristics that brewers desire in beer. Hops contribute a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt; the bitterness of beers is measured on the [[International Bitterness Units scale]]. Hops contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavours to beer. Hops have an [[antibiotic]] effect that favours the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms and aids in "[[Head (beer)|head]] retention",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewwiki.com/index.php/Head_Retention|title=Head Retention|publisher=BrewWiki|access-date=5 November 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011144640/http://brewwiki.com/index.php/Head_Retention|archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hopsteiner.com/isopg1.htm |title=Hop Products: Iso-Extract |publisher=Hopsteiner |access-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011212319/http://hopsteiner.com/isopg1.htm |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last. The acidity of hops is a preservative.<ref>[http://beer.pdqguides.com/beer-ingredient-hops.html PDQ Guides, ''Hops: Clever Use For a Useless Plan''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016111537/http://beer.pdqguides.com/beer-ingredient-hops.html |date=16 October 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Blanco |first1=Carlos A. |last2=Rojas |first2=Antonio |last3=Caballero |first3=Pedro A. |last4=Ronda |first4=Felicidad |last5=Gomez |first5=Manuel |last6=Caballero |first6=Isabel |title=A better control of beer properties by predicting acidity of hop iso-α-acids |journal=Trends in Food Science & Technology |date=July 2006 |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=373–377 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2005.11.012 }}</ref>


=== Industry ===
Yeast is the [[microorganism]] that is responsible for fermentation in beer. Yeast [[metabolism|metabolises]] the sugars extracted from grains, which produces [[Ethanol|alcohol]] and [[carbon dioxide]], and thereby turns [[wort]] into beer. In addition to fermenting the beer, yeast influences the character and flavour.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ostergaard |first1=Simon |last2=Olsson |first2=Lisbeth |last3=Nielsen |first3=Jens |title=Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae |journal=Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews |date=1 March 2000 |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=34–50 |doi=10.1128/MMBR.64.1.34-50.2000 |pmid=10704473 |pmc=98985 }}</ref> The dominant types of yeast used to make beer are the [[Top-fermenting yeast|top-fermenting]] ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'' and [[bottom-fermenting]] ''[[Saccharomyces pastorianus]]''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0kefSj0_i9sC&pg=PA376&dq=types+of+yeast+used+to+make+beer&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3MoveTthnLMs94MsIoa2B8EU-lAQ Google Books] Paul R. Dittmer, J. Desmond, ''Principles of Food, Beverage, and Labor Cost Controls'', John Wiley and Sons (2005),
{{ISBN|0-471-42992-9}}</ref> ''[[Brettanomyces]]'' ferments [[lambic]]s,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DvNhR0xfHtMC&pg=PA221&dq=Brettanomyces+lambic&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3PmukrkBNIO7fkkHMIit43n9l7Bg Google Books] Ian Spencer Hornsey, ''Brewing'' pp&nbsp;221–222, Royal Society of Chemistry (1999), {{ISBN|0-85404-568-6}}</ref> and ''[[Torulaspora delbrueckii]]'' ferments Bavarian [[weissbier]].<ref>[http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2001/torulospora_delbrueckii.htm Web.mst.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809212726/http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2001/torulospora_delbrueckii.htm |date=9 August 2011 }} David Horwitz, ''Torulaspora delbrueckii''. Retrieved 30 September 2008.</ref> Before the role of yeast in fermentation was understood, fermentation involved wild or airborne yeasts. A few styles such as [[lambics]] rely on this method today, but most modern fermentation adds pure yeast [[Microbiological culture|cultures]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TxCQlmasQh8C&pg=PA847&dq=beer+yeast+history&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3I5rdHZa4dvHSF6rH3E5mt9ddqbg#PPA847,M1 Google Books] Y. H. Hui, George G. Khachatourians, ''Food Biotechnology'' pp&nbsp;847–848, Wiley-IEEE (1994), {{ISBN|0-471-18570-1}}</ref>


[[File:Dreher Sörgyárak Zrt. (11).jpg|thumb|left|Industrial brewing]]
Some brewers add one or more clarifying agents or [[finings]] to beer, which typically [[precipitate]] (collect as a solid) out of the beer along with protein solids and are found only in trace amounts in the finished product. This process makes the beer appear [[Bright beer|bright]] and clean, rather than the cloudy appearance of ethnic and older styles of beer such as [[wheat beer]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000717.html|title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter&nbsp;— A pint of cloudy, please|publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926132813/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000717.html|archive-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Examples of clarifying agents include [[isinglass]], obtained from [[swimbladder]]s of fish; [[Chondrus crispus|Irish moss]], a seaweed; kappa [[carrageenan]], from the seaweed ''[[Kappaphycus cottonii]]''; [[Polyclar]] (artificial); and [[gelatin]].<ref>[http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/536 EFSA.europa.eu] ''Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies'', 23 August 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> If a beer is marked "suitable for vegans", it was clarified either with seaweed or with artificial agents.<ref>[http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultationresponse/summrespvegi.pdf Food.gov.uk] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002104412/http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultationresponse/summrespvegi.pdf |date=2 October 2008 }} ''Draft Guidance on the Use of the Terms 'Vegetarian' and 'Vegan' in Food Labelling: Consultation Responses'' pp71, 5 October 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref>


In the 21st century, larger breweries have repeatedly absorbed smaller breweries. In 2002, [[South African Breweries]] bought the North American [[Miller Brewing Company]] to found [[SABMiller]], becoming the second-largest brewery after North American [[Anheuser-Busch]]. In 2004, the Belgian [[Interbrew]] was the third-largest brewery by volume, and the Brazilian [[AmBev]] was the fifth-largest. They merged into [[InBev]], becoming the largest brewery. In 2007, SABMiller surpassed InBev and Anheuser-Busch when it acquired [[Royal Grolsch]], the brewer of Dutch brand Grolsch.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/ |title=Brewer to snap up Miller for $5.6B |work=CNN |date=30 May 2002 |access-date=4 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207043821/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/ |archive-date=7 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, when InBev (the second-largest) bought Anheuser-Busch (the third-largest), the new Anheuser-Busch InBev company became again the largest brewer in the world.<ref>{{cite press release |title=InBev Completes Acquisition of Anheuser-Busch |url=http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf |publisher=AB-InBev |date=18 November 2008 |access-date=21 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325102821/http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2012}}</ref>
==Brewing industry==
{{As of|2020}}, according to the market research firm Technavio, AB InBev was the largest brewing company in the world, with [[Heineken N.V.|Heineken]] second, [[CR Snow]] third, [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] fourth, and [[Molson Coors]] fifth.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2020 |title=Top 10 Largest Beer Companies and Their Beer Brands in the Global Beer Market 2020 |url=https://blog.technavio.com/blog/top-companies-global-beer-market |access-date=25 October 2020 |website=Technavio}}</ref>
[[File:Dreher Sörgyárak Zrt. (11).jpg|thumb|Brewing factory]]
[[File:Beer Consumption by Country (with legend).svg|thumb|Annual beer consumption per capita by country]]


[[File:Beer Consumption by Country (with legend).svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Annual beer consumption per capita by country]]
The history of breweries in the 21st century has included larger breweries absorbing smaller breweries in order to ensure [[economy of scale]].{{clarify|date=June 2016|reason=Explain what economy of scale is and provide a more adequate explanation of how it relates to breweries.}} In 2002, [[South African Breweries]] bought the North American [[Miller Brewing Company]] to found [[SABMiller]], becoming the second largest brewery, after North American [[Anheuser-Busch]]. In 2004, the Belgian [[Interbrew]] was the third largest brewery by volume and the Brazilian [[AmBev]] was the fifth largest. They merged into [[InBev]], becoming the largest brewery. In 2007, SABMiller surpassed InBev and Anheuser-Bush when it acquired [[Royal Grolsch]], brewer of Dutch premium beer brand Grolsch in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/ |title=Brewer to snap up Miller for $5.6B |work=CNN |date=30 May 2002 |access-date=4 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207043821/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/05/30/sab.miller/ |archive-date=7 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, when InBev (the second-largest) bought Anheuser-Busch (the third largest), the new [[Anheuser-Busch InBev]] company became again the largest brewer in the world.<ref>{{cite press release|title=InBev Completes Acquisition of Anheuser-Busch|url=http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf|publisher=AB-InBev|date=18 November 2008|access-date=21 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325102821/http://www.ab-inbev.com/documents/press_release.pdf|archive-date=25 March 2012}}</ref>


A ''[[microbrewery]]'', or ''craft brewery'', produces a limited amount of beer. The maximum amount of beer a brewery can produce and still be classed as a 'microbrewery' varies by region and by authority; in the US, it is {{convert|15000|USbeerbbl|Ml e3impgal e3gal|abbr=off}} a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Microbrewery |department=Market segments |year=2012 |publisher=Brewers Association |url=http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530044704/http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments |archive-date=30 May 2012}}</ref> A ''brewpub'' is a type of microbrewery that incorporates a [[pub]] or other [[bar (establishment)|drinking establishment]]. The highest density of breweries in the world, most of them microbreweries, exists in [[Franconia]], Germany, especially in the district of [[Upper Franconia]], which has about 200&nbsp;breweries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bier und Franken |language=de |trans-title=Beer and Franconians |website=Bierfranken.de |type=main |url=http://www.bierfranken.eu/bierfranken.php }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bierland-Oberfranken |language=de |trans-title=Beer country – upper Franconia |type=main |url=http://www.bierland-oberfranken.de/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033220/https://www.bierland-franken.de/ |archive-date=1 November 2022 }}</ref> The [[Benedictine]] [[Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan|Weihenstephan]] brewery in [[Bavaria]], Germany, can trace its roots to the year 768, as a document from that year refers to a hop garden in the area paying a tithe to the monastery. It claims to be the oldest working brewery in the world.<ref name="Zeit">{{cite news |url=http://www.zeit.de/2012/23/Bier-Flaschenkunde/komplettansicht |title=Flaschenkunde |author1=Christof Siemes |author2=Georg Etscheit |author3=Claas Tatje |author4=Karin Ceballos Betancur |author5=Gunhild Lütge |date=2012-05-31 |newspaper=[[Die Zeit]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711213403/http://www.zeit.de/2012/23/Bier-Flaschenkunde/komplettansicht |access-date=2017-01-05 |archive-date=11 July 2012 }}</ref>
{{As of|2020}}, according to the market research firm Technavio, [[AB InBev]] remains the largest brewing company in the world, with [[Heineken N.V.|Heineken]] second, [[CR Snow]] third, [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] fourth, and [[Molson Coors]] fifth.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 May 2020|title=Top 10 Largest Beer Companies and Their Beer Brands in the Global Beer Market 2020|url=https://blog.technavio.com/blog/top-companies-global-beer-market|access-date=25 October 2020|website=Technavio|language=en-US}}</ref>


== Varieties ==
A [[microbrewery]], or craft brewery, produces a limited amount of beer. The maximum amount of beer a brewery can produce and still be classed as a microbrewery varies by region and by authority; in the US it is {{convert|15000|USbeerbbl|Ml e3impgal e3gal|abbr=off}} a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments|title=Market Segments: Microbrewery|year=2012|publisher=Brewers Association|access-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530044704/http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/market-segments|archive-date=30 May 2012}}</ref> A brewpub is a type of microbrewery that incorporates a [[pub]] or other [[bar (establishment)|drinking establishment]]. The highest density of breweries in the world, most of them microbreweries, exists in the German Region of [[Franconia]], especially in the district of [[Upper Franconia]], which has about 200 breweries.<ref>: [http://www.bierfranken.eu/bierfranken.php Bier und Franken] at Bierfranken.de (German)</ref><ref>[http://www.bierland-oberfranken.de/ Bierland-Oberfranken] (German)</ref> The [[Benedictine]] [[Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan|Weihenstephan]] brewery in [[Bavaria]], Germany, can trace its roots to the year 768, as a document from that year refers to a hop garden in the area paying a tithe to the monastery. The brewery was licensed by the City of [[Freising]] in 1040, and therefore is the oldest working brewery in the world.<ref name="Giebel, Wieland 1992">Giebel, Wieland, ed (1992). The New Germany. Singapore: Höfer Press Pte. Ltd.</ref>


==Varieties==
{{Main|Beer style}}
{{Main|Beer style}}
[[File:HandPumps.jpg|thumb|left|Cask ale [[Beer engine|hand pumps]] with pump clips detailing the beers and their breweries]]


[[File:HandPumps.jpg|thumb|Cask ale [[Beer engine|hand pumps]] with pump clips detailing the beers and their breweries]]
While there are many types of beer brewed, the basics of brewing beer are shared across national and cultural boundaries.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4906858.stm News.bbc.co.uk], Will Smale, [[BBC]], 20 April 2006, ''Is today's beer all image over reality?''. Retrieved 12 September 2008.</ref> The traditional European brewing regions—[[German beer|Germany]], [[Belgian beer|Belgium]], [[Beer in England|England]] and the [[Czech beer|Czech Republic]]—have local varieties of beer.<ref>Sixpack, Joe (pseudonym for Don Russell), ''What the Hell am I Drinking'', 2011. {{ISBN|978-1-4637-8981-7}}.</ref>


=== Top-fermented beers ===
English writer [[Michael Jackson (writer)|Michael Jackson]], in his 1977 book ''The World Guide To Beer'', categorised beers from around the world in local style groups suggested by local customs and names.<ref name="Jackson">{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000233.html|title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter&nbsp;— How to save a beer style|publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926133429/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000233.html|archive-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fred Eckhardt]] furthered Jackson's work in ''The Essentials of Beer Style'' in 1989.


Top-fermented beers are most commonly produced with ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'', a [[top-fermenting yeast]] which [[Yeast flocculation|clumps]] and rises to the surface,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L8RwjqUKLygC&q=top%20fermenting&pg=PA222|title=Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets|publisher=Wiley|access-date=7 August 2010|isbn=978-3-527-31674-8|date=4 June 2009}}</ref> typically between {{convert|15|and|25|C|F}}. At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of [[ester]]s and other secondary flavour and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with slightly "fruity" compounds resembling apple, pear, pineapple, [[Banana beer|banana]], plum, or prune, among others.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books?id=allg4XxlOM4C&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=beer+fruity+esters&sig=ACfU3U3y2dmIwcGJCI9sZPpXzWfNHax3Vg Google Books] Lalli Nykänen, Heikki Suomalainen, ''Aroma of Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages'' p. 13, Springer (1983), {{ISBN|90-277-1553-X}}.</ref>
Top-fermented beers are most commonly produced with ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'', a [[top-fermenting yeast]] which [[Yeast flocculation|clumps]] and rises to the surface,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L8RwjqUKLygC&q=top%20fermenting&pg=PA222 |title=Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets |publisher=Wiley |access-date=7 August 2010 |isbn=978-3-527-31674-8 |date=4 June 2009}}</ref> typically between {{convert|15|and|25|C|F}}. At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of [[ester]]s and other secondary flavour and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with slightly "fruity" compounds resembling apple, pear, pineapple, [[Banana beer|banana]], plum, or prune, among others.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=allg4XxlOM4C&dq=beer+fruity+esters&pg=PA13 Google Books] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033216/https://books.google.com/books?id=allg4XxlOM4C&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=beer+fruity+esters&sig=ACfU3U3y2dmIwcGJCI9sZPpXzWfNHax3Vg |date=1 November 2022 }} Lalli Nykänen, Heikki Suomalainen, ''Aroma of Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages'' p. 13, Springer (1983), {{ISBN|90-277-1553-X}}.</ref> After the introduction of hops into England from Flanders in the 15th century, "ale" came to mean an unhopped fermented brew, while "beer" meant a brew with an infusion of hops.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TIYbNdrIsPEC&dq=term+ale+-+unhopped+beer&pg=PA2 Google books] F. G. Priest, Graham G. Stewart, ''Handbook of Brewing'' p. 2, CRC Press (2006), {{ISBN|0-8247-2657-X}}.</ref> The term '[[real ale]]' was coined by the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA) in 1973 for "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by [[Brewing#Secondary fermentation|secondary fermentation]] in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of [[carbonation|extraneous carbon dioxide]]". It is applied to both [[bottle conditioned]] and [[cask conditioned]] beers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4810832/Still-bitter-after-all-these-years.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4810832/Still-bitter-after-all-these-years.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Still bitter after all these years |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |access-date=13 October 2008|first=Peter |last=Oborne |date=9 November 2000}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


As for the types of top-fermented beers, [[pale ale]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/ipa.htm |title=Roger Protz on India Pale ale|publisher=beer-pages.com |access-date=3 October 2010 |archive-date=8 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608150337/http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/ipa.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> predominantly uses pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles and includes [[India pale ale]] (IPA).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Beer and Ale Glossary {{!}} The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion - Credo Reference |url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/barronflc/beer_and_ale_glossary/0 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=search.credoreference.com}}</ref> [[Mild ale]] has a predominantly malty palate. It is usually dark, with an [[Alcohol by volume|abv]] of 3% to 3.6%.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sutula|first=David |title=Mild ale : history, brewing techniques, recipes |year=1999 |publisher=Brewers Publications |location=Boulder, Colorado |isbn=978-0937381687 |pages=35–37}}</ref> [[Wheat beer]] is brewed with a large proportion of wheat although it often also contains a significant proportion of [[malted barley]]. Wheat beers are usually [[top-fermented]].<ref name="Warner">{{cite book |last=Warner |first=Eric |title=German Wheat Beer |location=Boulder, Colorado |publisher=Brewers Publications |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-937381-34-2}}</ref> [[Stout]] is a dark beer made using roasted barley, and typically brewed with slow fermenting yeast. There are a number of variations including dry stout (such as [[Guinness]]), sweet stout, and Imperial (or Russian) stout.<ref name=":1" /> Stout was originally the strongest variety of [[Porter (beer)|porter]], a dark brown beer popular with the street and river [[Porter (carrier)|porters]] of eighteenth century London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=231 |title=Porter and Stout |publisher=[[CAMRA]] |access-date=24 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319235233/http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=231 |archive-date=19 March 2012 }}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Porter Versus Stout: What's the Difference? |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/porter-vs-stout |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Food Network}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000041.html |title=Porter casts a long shadow on ale history |publisher=beerhunter.com |access-date=24 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403081327/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000041.html |archive-date=3 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
After the introduction of hops into England from Flanders in the 15th century, "ale" referred to an unhopped fermented drink, "beer" being used to describe a brew with an infusion of hops.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TIYbNdrIsPEC&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=term+ale+-+unhopped+beer&source=web&ots=7eZH_pGNRd&sig=VT_3jQ8PaSpw_1dCfWvM1Y04hwE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result Google books] F. G. Priest, Graham G. Stewart, ''Handbook of Brewing'' p. 2, CRC Press (2006), {{ISBN|0-8247-2657-X}}.</ref>


=== Bottom-fermented beers ===
[[Real ale]] is the term coined by the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA) in 1973<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4810832/Still-bitter-after-all-these-years.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4810832/Still-bitter-after-all-these-years.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Still bitter after all these years|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|access-date=13 October 2008|author=Peter Oborne|date=9 November 2000}}{{cbignore}}</ref> for "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by [[Brewing#Secondary fermentation|secondary fermentation]] in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of [[carbonation|extraneous carbon dioxide]]". It is applied to [[bottle conditioned]] and [[cask conditioned]] beers.


[[File:Kriek Beer 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[Kriek lambic|Kriek]], a lambic beer brewed with cherries]]
[[Pale ale]] is a beer which uses a top-fermenting yeast<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/ipa.htm|title=Roger Protz on India Pale ale|publisher=beer-pages.com|access-date=3 October 2010|archive-date=8 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608150337/http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/features/ipa.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.


[[Lager]] is cool-fermented beer. [[Pale lager]]s are the most commonly drunk beers in the world. Many are of the "[[pilsner]]" type. The name "lager" comes from the German "lagern" for "to store", as brewers in Bavaria stored beer in cool cellars during the warm summer months, allowing the beers to continue to ferment, and to clear any sediment.<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000255.html Beerhunter.com] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906031705/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000255.html |date=6 September 2016 }} Michael Jackson, ''BeerHunter'', "The birth of lager", 1 March 1996. Retrieved 16 September 2008.</ref> Lager yeast is a cool bottom-fermenting yeast (''[[Saccharomyces pastorianus]]''). Lager typically undergoes primary fermentation at {{convert|7|–|12|C|F}}, and then a long secondary fermentation at {{convert|0|–|4|C|F}} (the lagering phase). During the secondary stage, the lager clears and mellows. The cooler conditions inhibit the natural production of [[ester]]s and other byproducts, resulting in a "cleaner"-tasting beer.<ref>[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/cshl-bbb090308.php Eurekalert.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607144649/http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/cshl-bbb090308.php |date=7 June 2011 }} Gavin Sherlock, EurekAlert, ''Brewing better beer: Scientists determine the genomic origins of lager yeasts'', 10 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.</ref> With improved modern yeast strains, most lager breweries use only short periods of cold storage, typically no more than 2 weeks. Some traditional lagers are still stored for several months.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Rourke |first1=Tim |title=Science: Warm maturation and cold stabilisation |url=https://www.brewersjournal.info/science-warm-maturation-and-cold-stabilisation/ |website=Brewers Journal |access-date=22 November 2024 |date=15 June 2022}}</ref>
[[Stout]] and porter are dark beers made using roasted malts or roast barley, and typically brewed with slow fermenting yeast. There are a number of variations including Baltic porter, dry stout, and Imperial stout. The name "porter" was first used in 1721 to describe a dark brown beer popular with the street and river [[Porter (carrier)|porters]] of London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=231 |title=Porter and Stout |publisher=CAMRA |access-date=24 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319235233/http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=231 |archive-date=19 March 2012 }}</ref> This same beer later also became known as stout, though the word stout had been used as early as 1677.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0937381446?p=S003#reader-page Amazon Online Reader : Stout (Classic Beer Style Series, 10)].</ref> The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000041.html|title=Porter casts a long shadow on ale history|publisher=beerhunter.com|access-date=24 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403081327/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000041.html|archive-date=3 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== Lambic ===
[[Mild ale]] has a predominantly malty palate. It is usually dark coloured with an [[Alcohol by volume|abv]] of 3% to 3.6%, although there are lighter hued milds as well as stronger examples reaching 6% abv and higher.


[[Lambic]], a beer of [[Belgian beers|Belgium]], is naturally fermented using wild yeasts, rather than cultivated. Many of these are not strains of brewer's yeast (''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'') and may have significant differences in aroma and sourness. Yeast varieties such as ''[[Brettanomyces bruxellensis]]'' and ''[[Brettanomyces lambicus]]'' are common in lambics. In addition, other organisms such as ''[[Lactobacillus]]'' bacteria produce acids which contribute to the sourness.<ref>Webb, Tim; Pollard, Chris; and Pattyn, Joris; ''Lambicland: Lambikland'', Rev Ed. (Cogan and Mater Ltd, 2004), {{ISBN|0-9547789-0-1}}.</ref>
[[Wheat beer]] is brewed with a large proportion of wheat although it often also contains a significant proportion of [[malted barley]]. Wheat beers are usually [[top-fermented]].<ref name="Warner">Eric Warner, ''German Wheat Beer''. Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1992. {{ISBN|978-0-937381-34-2}}.</ref> The flavour of wheat beers varies considerably, depending upon the specific style.


=== Non-barley beers ===
[[File:Kriek Beer 1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Kriek lambic|Kriek]], a variety of beer brewed with cherries]]


{{See also|Category:Types of beer}}
[[Lambic]], a beer of [[Belgian beers|Belgium]], is naturally fermented using wild yeasts, rather than cultivated. Many of these are not strains of brewer's yeast (''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'') and may have significant differences in aroma and sourness. Yeast varieties such as ''[[Brettanomyces bruxellensis]]'' and ''[[Brettanomyces lambicus]]'' are common in lambics. In addition, other organisms such as ''[[Lactobacillus]]'' bacteria produce acids which contribute to the sourness.<ref>Webb, Tim; Pollard, Chris; and Pattyn, Joris; ''Lambicland: Lambikland'', Rev Ed. (Cogan and Mater Ltd, 2004), {{ISBN|0-9547789-0-1}}.</ref>


Around the world, many traditional and ancient starch-based drinks are classed as beer. In Africa, there are ethnic beers made from [[sorghum]] or [[millet]], such as [[Oshikundu]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2100/268/5/05Section3toBib.pdf |title=Recuperation |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002104412/http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2100/268/5/05Section3toBib.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> in Namibia and [[Tella]] in Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/ethiop/ethiop_foods.html |title=Traditional Foods of the Central Ethiopian Highlands |publisher=Ethnomed.org |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411224116/http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/ethiop/ethiop_foods.html|archive-date=11 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Kyrgyzstan]] also has a beer made from millet; it is a low alcohol, somewhat porridge-like drink called "Bozo".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Surina |first1=Asele |last2=Mack |first2=Glenn Randall |title=Food culture in Russia and Central Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7MTx_zcIR0C&q=Kyrgyzstan+bozo&pg=PA101 |year=2005 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-313-32773-5 |page=101}}</ref> [[Bhutan]], Nepal, [[Tibet]] and [[Sikkim]] also use millet in [[Chhaang]], a popular semi-fermented rice/millet drink in the eastern [[Himalaya]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trek2himalaya.com/nepal/research_culture_tourism.php |title=Research & Culture, Kathmandu rich in Culture, Machchhendranath Temple, Akash Bhairav Temple, Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Temple of Kumari Ghar, Jaishi Dewal, Martyr's Memorial (Sahid) Gate, Singha Durbar |publisher=Trek2himalaya.com |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013021707/http://www.trek2himalaya.com/nepal/research_culture_tourism.php |archive-date=13 October 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Lager]] is cool fermented beer. [[Pale lager]]s are the most commonly consumed beers in the world. Many are of the “[[pilsner]]” type. The name "lager" comes from the German "lagern" for "to store", as brewers around Bavaria stored beer in cool cellars and caves during the warm summer months. These brewers noticed that the beers continued to ferment, and to also clear of sediment, when stored in cool conditions.<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000255.html Beerhunter.com] Michael Jackson, ''BeerHunter'', "The birth of lager", 1 March 1996. Retrieved 16 September 2008.</ref>


The [[Andes]] in South America has [[Chicha]], made from germinated maize (corn); while the [[indigenous peoples in Brazil]] have [[Cauim]], a traditional drink made since pre-Columbian times by chewing [[manioc]] so that an enzyme ([[amylase]]) present in human saliva can break down the starch into fermentable sugars;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5GPthV9MyccC&dq=Cauim+chewed&pg=PA143 Books.google.co.uk], Lewin Louis and Louis Levin, ''Phantastica: A Classic Survey on the Use and Abuse of Mind-Altering Plants'', Inner Traditions / Bear & Company (1998), {{ISBN|0-89281-783-6}}</ref> this is similar to [[Masato (beverage)|Masato]] in [[Peru]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Anthropological Review|url=https://archive.org/details/anthropological01londgoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/anthropological01londgoog/page/n48 41] |quote=Masato yuca |year=1863 |publisher=[[Trübner & Co|Trübner]] |author=Anthropological Society of London |isbn=978-0-559-56998-2}}</ref>
Lager yeast is a cool bottom-fermenting yeast (''[[Saccharomyces pastorianus]]'') and typically undergoes primary fermentation at {{convert|7|–|12|C|F}} (the fermentation phase), and then is given a long secondary fermentation at {{convert|0|–|4|C|F}} (the lagering phase). During the secondary stage, the lager clears and mellows. The cooler conditions also inhibit the natural production of [[ester]]s and other byproducts, resulting in a "cleaner"-tasting beer.<ref>[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/cshl-bbb090308.php Eurekalert.org] Gavin Sherlock, PhD, EurekAlert, ''Brewing better beer: Scientists determine the genomic origins of lager yeasts'', 10 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.</ref>


[[Beer from bread|Beers made from bread]], among the earliest forms of the drink, are [[Sahti]] in Finland, [[Kvass]] in Russia and [[Ukraine]], and [[Bouza (beer)|Bouza]] in Sudan. 4000 years ago fermented bread was used in Mesopotamia. [[Food waste]] activists got inspired by these ancient recipes and use leftover bread to replace a third of the malted barley that would otherwise be used for brewing their craft ale.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Oli |last1=Bloor |first2=Ed |last2=Scott-Clarke |first3=Katy |last3=Scott |date=18 December 2017 |title=The brewery that turns bread into beer |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/world/toast-ale/index.html |access-date=19 November 2020 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>
With improved modern yeast strains, most lager breweries use only short periods of cold storage, typically 1–3 weeks.

{{clear}}
== Measurement ==


==Measurement==
{{Main|Beer measurement}}
{{Main|Beer measurement}}


Beer is measured and assessed by bitterness, by strength and by colour. The perceived [[bitter (taste)|bitterness]] is measured by the International Bitterness Units scale (IBU), defined in co-operation between the [[American Society of Brewing Chemists]] and the [[European Brewery Convention]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanbreweryconvention.org/EBCmain/commiteesgroups/index.php|title=The Analysis Committee|access-date=5 August 2009|author=European Brewery Convention|quote=The EBC Analysis Committee also works closely together with the 'American Society of Brewing Chemists' (ASBC) to establish so-called 'International methods' with world-wide recognition of applicability. A partnership declaration between EBC and ASBC has been signed. The integration of the IOB methods of analysis and EBC methods is nearing completion.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519041640/http://www.europeanbreweryconvention.org/EBCmain/commiteesgroups/index.php|archive-date=19 May 2009}}</ref> The international scale was a development of the European Bitterness Units scale, often abbreviated as EBU, and the bitterness values should be identical.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehighvalleyhomebrewers.org/glossary.html|title=Beer and Brewing Glossary|access-date=5 August 2009|author=Lehigh Valley Homebrewers|year=2007|quote=IBUs (International Bittering Units)&nbsp;– The accepted worldwide standard for measuring bitterness in beer, also known as EBU, based on the estimated alpha acid percentage of the hops used and the length of time they are boiled.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924090107/http://www.lehighvalleyhomebrewers.org/glossary.html|archive-date=24 September 2008}}</ref>
Beer is measured and assessed by colour, by strength and by bitterness. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6%, measured as [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV).<ref name="BBC News 2010">{{cite news |title=World's strongest beer reclaimed |website=[[BBC News]] |date=16 February 2010 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8517607.stm |access-date=5 August 2015}}</ref> The perceived [[bitter (taste)|bitterness]] is measured by the International Bitterness Units scale (IBU), defined in co-operation between the [[American Society of Brewing Chemists]] and the [[European Brewery Convention]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europeanbreweryconvention.org/EBCmain/commiteesgroups/index.php |title=The Analysis Committee |access-date=5 August 2009 |author=European Brewery Convention |quote=The EBC Analysis Committee also works closely together with the 'American Society of Brewing Chemists' (ASBC) to establish so-called 'International methods' with world-wide recognition of applicability. A partnership declaration between EBC and ASBC has been signed. The integration of the IOB methods of analysis and EBC methods is nearing completion. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519041640/http://www.europeanbreweryconvention.org/EBCmain/commiteesgroups/index.php|archive-date=19 May 2009}}</ref> The international scale was a development of the European Bitterness Units scale, often abbreviated as EBU, and the bitterness values should be identical.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lehighvalleyhomebrewers.org/glossary.html |title=Beer and Brewing Glossary|access-date=5 August 2009 |author=Lehigh Valley Homebrewers |year=2007 |quote=IBUs (International Bittering Units) – The accepted worldwide standard for measuring bitterness in beer, also known as EBU, based on the estimated alpha acid percentage of the hops used and the length of time they are boiled. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924090107/http://www.lehighvalleyhomebrewers.org/glossary.html |archive-date=24 September 2008}}</ref>

=== Colour ===


===Colour===
[[File:Paulaner.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Paulaner Brewery|Paulaner]] [[dunkel]]&nbsp;– a dark lager]]
[[File:Paulaner.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Paulaner Brewery|Paulaner]] [[dunkel]]&nbsp;– a dark lager]]


Beer colour is determined by the malt.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5PVTAAAAMAAJ&q=The+color+of+beer+is+first+of+all+determined+by+the+malt+type.&dq=The+color+of+beer+is+first+of+all+determined+by+the+malt+type.&client=firefox-a&pgis=1 Google Books] Fritz Ullmann, ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'' Vol A-11 pp455, VCH (1985), {{ISBN|3-527-20103-3}}</ref> The most common colour is a pale amber produced from using pale malts. ''Pale lager'' and ''pale ale'' are terms used for beers made from malt dried with the fuel [[Coke (fuel)|coke]]. Coke was first used for roasting malt in 1642, but it was not until around 1703 that the term ''pale ale'' was used.<ref>[http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer-News/Article-579.htm British Bitter] "A beer style or a way of life?", RateBeer (January 2006). Retrieved 30 September 2008.</ref><ref>Martyn Cornell, ''Beer: The Story of the Pint'', Headline (2004), {{ISBN|0-7553-1165-5}}</ref>
Beer colour is determined by the malt.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5PVTAAAAMAAJ&q=The+color+of+beer+is+first+of+all+determined+by+the+malt+type. Google Books] Fritz Ullmann, ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'' Vol A-11 pp455, VCH (1985), {{ISBN|3-527-20103-3}}</ref> The most common colour is a pale amber produced from using pale malts. ''Pale lager'' and ''pale ale'' are terms used for beers made from malt dried and roasted with the fuel [[Coke (fuel)|coke]]. Coke was first used for roasting malt in 1642, but it was not until around 1703 that the term ''pale ale'' was used.<ref>[http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer-News/Article-579.htm British Bitter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203045718/http://ratebeer.com/Beer-News/Article-579.htm |date=3 February 2010 }} "A beer style or a way of life?", RateBeer (January 2006). Retrieved 30 September 2008.</ref><ref>Martyn Cornell, ''Beer: The Story of the Pint'', Headline (2004), {{ISBN|0-7553-1165-5}}</ref>


In terms of sales volume, most of today's beer is based on the pale lager brewed in 1842 in the town of [[Plzeň|Pilsen]] in the present-day [[Czech beer|Czech Republic]].<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000262.html BeerHunter] Michael Jackson, "A Czech-style classic from Belgium", Beer Hunter Online (7 September 1999). Retrieved 20 September 2008.</ref> The modern pale lager is light in colour with a noticeable carbonation (fizzy bubbles) and a typical [[alcohol by volume]] content of around 5%.<ref>{{cite web |title=2015 Style Guidelines |url=https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf |publisher=Beer Judge Certification Program |page=3}}</ref> The [[Pilsner Urquell]], [[Bitburger]], and [[Heineken Pilsener|Heineken]] brands of beer are typical examples of pale lager, as are the American brands [[Budweiser]], [[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]], and [[Miller Brewing Company|Miller]].
In terms of sales volume, most of today's beer is based on the pale lager brewed in 1842 in the city of [[Plzeň]] in the present-day [[Czech beer|Czech Republic]].<ref>[http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000262.html BeerHunter] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712053442/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000262.html |date=12 July 2010 }} Michael Jackson, "A Czech-style classic from Belgium", Beer Hunter Online (7 September 1999). Retrieved 20 September 2008.</ref> The modern pale lager is light in colour due to use of coke for kilning, which gives off heat with little smoke.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qO76CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA18 |page=18 |title=The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer |first=Ashley |last=Routson |publisher=[[Voyageur Press]] |date=2015 |isbn=978-0-7603-4730-0 }}</ref>


Dark beers are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as [[stout]], use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gtKOyU9ci1MC&pg=PA320&dq=roasted+malts+color+beer&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U2RMwZBZ6rKkRnpNm-b9zevMVTffg Google Books] Costas Katsigris, Chris Thomas, ''The Bar and Beverage Book'' pp320, John Wiley and Sons (2006), {{ISBN|0-471-64799-3}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QDpi_6VnhegC&pg=PA228&dq=roasted+malts+color+beer&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U1-949VOcJUnOwWvO82sgOZ4_dQ5w Google Books] J. Scott Smith, Y. H. Hui, ''Food Processing: Principles and Applications'' pp228, Blackwell Publishing (2004), {{ISBN|0-8138-1942-3}}</ref>
Dark beers are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as [[stout]], use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gtKOyU9ci1MC&dq=roasted+malts+color+beer&pg=PA320 Google Books] Costas Katsigris, Chris Thomas, ''The Bar and Beverage Book'' pp320, John Wiley and Sons (2006), {{ISBN|0-471-64799-3}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QDpi_6VnhegC&dq=roasted+malts+color+beer&pg=PA228 Google Books] J. Scott Smith, Y. H. Hui, ''Food Processing: Principles and Applications'' pp228, Blackwell Publishing (2004), {{ISBN|0-8138-1942-3}}</ref>

=== Strength ===


===Strength===
{{See also|Beer measurement#Strength}}
{{See also|Beer measurement#Strength}}


Beer ranges from less than 3% [[alcohol by volume]] (abv) to around 14% abv, though this strength can be increased to around 20% by re-pitching with champagne yeast,<ref name=Mill/> and to 55% abv by the freeze-distilling process.<ref name=End/> The alcohol content of beer varies by local practice or beer style.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ron Pattinson|date=6 July 2007|title=European Beer Statistics: Beer production by strength|publisher=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#gravity|access-date=23 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223173711/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[pale lager]]s that most consumers are familiar with fall in the range of 4–6%, with a typical abv of 5%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bendbrewfest.com/index.php?page=glossary|title=Fourth Annual Bend Brew Fest|publisher=Bendbrewfest.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929085617/http://bendbrewfest.com/index.php?page=glossary|archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> The customary strength of British ales is quite low, with many [[session beer]]s being around 4% abv.<ref>{{cite book|date=6 January 2004 |title=Beer Facts 2003 |publisher=The Brewers of Europe |url=http://www.brewersofeurope.org/docs/publications/beerfacts2003.pdf |access-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227092024/http://www.brewersofeurope.org/docs/publications/beerfacts2003.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 }}</ref> In Belgium, some beers, such as [[Belgian beer#Table beer|table beer]] are of such low alcohol content (1%–4%) that they are served instead of [[soft drink]]s in some schools.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Andrew Osborn|date=21 June 2001 |title=School dinner? Mine's a lager, please |journal=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,510202,00.html |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221181424/http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0%2C3604%2C510202%2C00.html |archive-date=21 December 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Beer ranges from less than 3% [[alcohol by volume]] (abv) to around 14% abv, though this strength can be increased to around 20% by re-pitching with champagne yeast,<ref name=Mill/> and to 55% ABVby the freeze-distilling process.<ref name=End/> The alcohol content of beer varies by local practice or beer style.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ron |last=Pattinson |date=6 July 2007 |title=European Beer Statistics: Beer production by strength |publisher=European Beer Guide |url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#gravity |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223173711/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[pale lager]]s that most consumers are familiar with fall in the range of 4–6%, with a typical ABVof 5%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bendbrewfest.com/index.php?page=glossary |title=Fourth Annual Bend Brew Fest |publisher=Bendbrewfest.com |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929085617/http://bendbrewfest.com/index.php?page=glossary |archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> The customary strength of British ales is quite low, with many [[session beer]]s being around 4% abv.<ref>{{cite book|date=6 January 2004 |title=Beer Facts 2003 |publisher=The Brewers of Europe |url=http://www.brewersofeurope.org/docs/publications/beerfacts2003.pdf |access-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227092024/http://www.brewersofeurope.org/docs/publications/beerfacts2003.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 }}</ref> In Belgium, some beers, such as [[Belgian beer#Table beer|table beer]] are of such low alcohol content (1%–4%) that they are served instead of [[soft drink]]s in some schools.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Andrew |last=Osborn|date=21 June 2001 |title=School dinner? Mine's a lager, please |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,510202,00.html |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221181424/http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0%2C3604%2C510202%2C00.html |archive-date=21 December 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> The weakest beers are described as [[dealcoholized beer|'alcohol-free']], typically containing 0.05% ABV; this compares to low alcohol beers which may contain 1.2% ABV or less, and conventional beers which average 4.4% ABV.<ref name="DrinkAware">{{cite web |title=What are 'alcohol-free' and 'low alcohol' beers? |url=https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/information-about-alcohol/alcohol-and-the-facts/difference-between-alcoholic-and-alcohol-free-beers |website=DrinkAware |access-date=22 November 2024}}</ref>


{{anchor|Strongest beer}}
The alcohol in beer comes primarily from the metabolism of sugars that are produced during fermentation. The quantity of fermentable sugars in the wort and the variety of yeast used to ferment the wort are the primary factors that determine the amount of alcohol in the final beer. Additional fermentable sugars are sometimes added to increase alcohol content, and enzymes are often added to the wort for certain styles of beer (primarily "light" beers) to convert more complex carbohydrates (starches) to fermentable sugars. Alcohol is a by-product of yeast metabolism and is toxic to the yeast in higher concentrations; typical brewing yeast cannot survive at alcohol concentrations above 12% by volume. Low temperatures and too little fermentation time decreases the effectiveness of yeasts and consequently decreases the alcohol content.
The strength of beers has climbed during the later years of the 20th century. Vetter 33, a 10.5% ABV (33 [[Plato scale|degrees Plato]], hence Vetter "33") [[doppelbock]], was listed in the 1994 ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the strongest beer at that time,<ref>{{cite book |title=Vetter Brauhaus |publisher=Vetter Brauhaus |url=http://www.brauhaus-vetter.de/|access-date=22 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116135105/http://www.brauhaus-vetter.de/|archive-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=In 1994, the 33 Plato gave it the world's highest gravity. Though the beer can no longer make this claim, it is still one of the world's most renowned strong lagers |publisher =Rate Beer |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=13030 |access-date=14 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205042743/http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=13030 |archive-date=5 February 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> though [[Samichlaus]], by the Swiss brewer Hürlimann, had also been listed by the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the strongest at 14% |BV.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schloss-eggenberg.at/site/en_srt_samichlaus.asp?id=87 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928164201/http://www.schloss-eggenberg.at/site/en_srt_samichlaus.asp?id=87 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |title=Schloss Eggenberg |publisher=Schloss-eggenberg.at |access-date=28 September 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000100.html |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter&nbsp;— Mine's a pint of Santa Claus|publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917204316/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000100.html |archive-date=17 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hurlimann-samichlaus/2399/ |title=Hurlimann Samichlaus from Hürlimann (Feldschlösschen), a Doppelbock style beer: An unofficial page for Hurlimann Samichlaus from Hürlimann (Feldschlösschen) in Zürich, Switzerland |publisher=Ratebeer.com |access-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914100453/http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hurlimann-samichlaus/2399/ |archive-date=14 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since then, some brewers have used champagne yeasts to increase the alcohol content of their beers. [[Samuel Adams (beer)|Samuel Adams]] reached 20% ABVwith ''Millennium'',<ref name=Mill>{{cite news |date=13 February 2002 |title=The 48 proof beer |periodical=Beer Break |publisher=Realbeer |volume=2 |issue=19 |url=http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20020214.php |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226230401/http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20020214.php |archive-date=26 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> and then surpassed that amount to 25.6% ABV with [[Utopias (beer)|Utopias]]. The strongest beer brewed in Britain was Baz's Super Brew by Parish Brewery, a 23% ABVbeer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beermad.org.uk/brewery/751 |title=Parish: brewery detail from Beermad|publisher=beermad.org.uk|access-date=21 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829183922/http://www.beermad.org.uk/brewery/751|archive-date=29 August 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewerysouvenirs.co.uk/parishbrewery/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208054934/http://www.brewerysouvenirs.co.uk/parishbrewery/index.htm |archive-date=8 December 2008 |title=Brewery Souvenirs – Parish Brewery |publisher=brewerysouvenirs.co.uk |access-date=21 February 2009}}</ref> In September 2011, the Scottish brewery [[BrewDog]] produced Ghost Deer, which, at 28%, they claim to be the world's strongest beer produced by fermentation alone.<ref name="ghostdeer">{{cite web |url=http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/ghost-deer |title=BrewDog&nbsp;— Ghost Deer |publisher=brewdog.com |access-date=19 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924083057/http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/ghost-deer |archive-date=24 September 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


The product claimed to be the strongest beer made is Schorschbräu's 2011 ''Schorschbock 57'' with 57,5% ABV.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/the-battle-to-brew-the-worlds-strongest-ever-beer |title=BrewDog Blog |author=MTC Media |work=BrewDog |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204170417/http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/the-battle-to-brew-the-worlds-strongest-ever-beer |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.benz-weltweit.de/derbraeuvomberch/index_eng.html |title=Welcome to Schorschbräu – Home of the Strongest Beers on Earth |work=benz-weltweit.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225145026/http://www.benz-weltweit.de/derbraeuvomberch/index_eng.html |archive-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> It was preceded by ''The End of History'', a 55% [[Belgian ale]],<ref name=End>{{cite web |url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/187819-scots-brewery-releases-worlds-strongest-and-most-expensive-beer/ |title=Scots brewery releases world's strongest and most expensive beer |publisher=news.stv.tv|access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723194406/http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/187819-scots-brewery-releases-worlds-strongest-and-most-expensive-beer/ |archive-date=23 July 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> made by BrewDog in 2010. The same company had previously made ''Sink The Bismarck!'', a 41% ABV [[India pale ale|IPA]],<ref name=Sink>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7250444/Strongest-beer-in-the-world-Brewdog-produces-41pc-ale.html |title=Strongest beer in the world: Brewdog produces 41pc ale|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=24 February 2010 |date=16 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218131428/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7250444/Strongest-beer-in-the-world-Brewdog-produces-41pc-ale.html |archive-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Tactical Nuclear Penguin'', a 32% ABV [[Imperial stout]]. Each of these beers are made using the [[eisbock]] method of [[fractional freezing]], in which a strong ale is partially frozen and the ice is repeatedly removed, until the desired strength is reached,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm |title='World's strongest' beer with 32% strength launched|work=BBC News |access-date=27 November 2009|date=26 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127053016/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm |archive-date=27 November 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46 |title=Buy Tactical Nuclear Penguin |work=BrewDog Beer|access-date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129120007/http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46 |archive-date=29 November 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> a process that may class the product as [[Distilled drink|spirits]] rather than beer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/beer/beer-anchors-away.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004165607/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/beer/beer-anchors-away.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 October 2012 |title=All We Can Eat&nbsp;– Beer: Anchors away |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=24 July 2010 }}</ref> The German brewery Schorschbräu's ''Schorschbock'', a 31% ABV eisbock,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/nov/26/worlds-strongest-beer-scottish-brewdog|title=Scottish brewer claims world's strongest beer &#124; Society &#124; guardian.co.uk |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=27 November 2009 |first=Severin |last=Carrell |date=26 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130153519/http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/26/worlds-strongest-beer-scottish-brewdog |archive-date=30 November 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schorschbraeu.de/schorschbraeu/site/ |title=Willkommen beim Schorschbräu&nbsp;– Die handwerkliche Kleinbrauerei im Fränkischen Seenland |publisher=schorschbraeu.de |access-date=26 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217014231/http://www.schorschbraeu.de/schorschbraeu/site/ |archive-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ratebeer.com/beer/schorschbrau-schorschbock-31/97069/|title=Schorschbräu Schorschbock 31% from Kleinbrauerei Schorschbräu&nbsp;– Ratebeer|publisher=ratebeer.com|access-date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207083823/http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/schorschbrau-schorschbock-31/97069/|archive-date=7 December 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Hair of the Dog Brewing Company|Hair of the Dog]]'s ''Dave'', a 29% abv [[barley wine]] made in 1994, used the same fractional freezing method.<ref>
The weakest beers are [[dealcoholized beer]]s, which typically have less than 0.05% alcohol (also called "near beer") and [[light beer]]s, which usually have 4% alcohol.
{{cite web |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hair-of-the-dog-dave/23897/|title=Hair of the Dog Dave from Hair of the Dog Brewing Company|publisher=ratebeer.com|access-date=4 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129144911/http://ratebeer.com/beer/hair-of-the-dog-dave/23897/|archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 60% ABV [[beer cocktail|blend of beer with whiskey]] was jokingly claimed as the strongest beer by a Dutch brewery in July 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S3SR20100729 |title=Brewer claims world's strongest beer |work=Reuters |access-date=8 September 2010 |first=Ben |last=Berkowitz |date=29 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906063036/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S3SR20100729 |archive-date=6 September 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl/cms/ |title=Welkom bij Brouwerij Het Koelschip |publisher=brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl |access-date=8 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803063820/http://www.brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl/cms/|archive-date=3 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


== Serving ==
{{anchor|Strongest beer}}
The strength of beers has climbed during the later years of the 20th century. Vetter 33, a 10.5% abv (33 [[Plato scale|degrees Plato]], hence Vetter "33") [[doppelbock]], was listed in the 1994 ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the strongest beer at that time,<ref>{{cite book |title=Vetter Brauhaus|publisher=Vetter Brauhaus|url=http://www.brauhaus-vetter.de/|access-date=22 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116135105/http://www.brauhaus-vetter.de/|archive-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=In 1994, the 33 Plato gave it the world's highest gravity. Though the beer can no longer make this claim, it is still one of the world's most renowned strong lagers|publisher =Rate Beer|url=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=13030|access-date=14 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205042743/http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=13030|archive-date=5 February 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> though [[Samichlaus]], by the Swiss brewer Hürlimann, had also been listed by the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the strongest at 14% abv.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schloss-eggenberg.at/site/en_srt_samichlaus.asp?id=87|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928164201/http://www.schloss-eggenberg.at/site/en_srt_samichlaus.asp?id=87|archive-date=28 September 2011|title=Schloss Eggenberg|publisher=Schloss-eggenberg.at|access-date=28 September 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000100.html|title=Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter&nbsp;— Mine's a pint of Santa Claus|publisher=Beerhunter.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917204316/http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000100.html|archive-date=17 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hurlimann-samichlaus/2399/|title=Hurlimann Samichlaus from Hürlimann (Feldschlösschen), a Doppelbock style beer: An unofficial page for Hurlimann Samichlaus from Hürlimann (Feldschlösschen) in Zürich, Switzerland|publisher=Ratebeer.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914100453/http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hurlimann-samichlaus/2399/|archive-date=14 September 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since then, some brewers have used champagne yeasts to increase the alcohol content of their beers. [[Samuel Adams (beer)|Samuel Adams]] reached 20% abv with ''Millennium'',<ref name=Mill>{{cite news |date=13 February 2002|title=The 48 proof beer|periodical=Beer Break|publisher=Realbeer|volume=2|issue=19|url=http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20020214.php|access-date=23 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226230401/http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20020214.php|archive-date=26 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> and then surpassed that amount to 25.6% abv with [[Utopias (beer)|Utopias]]. The strongest beer brewed in Britain was Baz's Super Brew by Parish Brewery, a 23% abv beer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beermad.org.uk/brewery/751|title=Parish: brewery detail from Beermad|publisher=beermad.org.uk|access-date=21 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829183922/http://www.beermad.org.uk/brewery/751|archive-date=29 August 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brewerysouvenirs.co.uk/parishbrewery/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208054934/http://www.brewerysouvenirs.co.uk/parishbrewery/index.htm|archive-date=8 December 2008|title=Brewery Souvenirs&nbsp;– Parish Brewery|publisher=brewerysouvenirs.co.uk|access-date=21 February 2009}}</ref> In September 2011, the Scottish brewery [[BrewDog]] produced Ghost Deer, which, at 28%, they claim to be the world's strongest beer produced by fermentation alone.<ref name="ghostdeer">{{cite web|url=http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/ghost-deer|title=BrewDog&nbsp;— Ghost Deer|publisher=brewdog.com|access-date=19 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924083057/http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/ghost-deer|archive-date=24 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>


===Draught ===
The product claimed to be the strongest beer made is Schorschbräu's 2011 ''Schorschbock 57'' with 57,5%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/the-battle-to-brew-the-worlds-strongest-ever-beer|title=BrewDog Blog|author=MTC Media|work=BrewDog|access-date=18 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204170417/http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/the-battle-to-brew-the-worlds-strongest-ever-beer|archive-date=4 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.benz-weltweit.de/derbraeuvomberch/index_eng.html|title=Welcome to Schorschbräu – Home of the Strongest Beers on Earth|work=benz-weltweit.de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225145026/http://www.benz-weltweit.de/derbraeuvomberch/index_eng.html|archive-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> It was preceded by ''The End of History'', a 55% [[Belgian ale]],<ref name=End>{{cite web |url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/187819-scots-brewery-releases-worlds-strongest-and-most-expensive-beer/|title=Scots brewery releases world's strongest and most expensive beer|publisher=news.stv.tv|access-date=24 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723194406/http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/187819-scots-brewery-releases-worlds-strongest-and-most-expensive-beer/|archive-date=23 July 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> made by BrewDog in 2010. The same company had previously made ''Sink The Bismarck!'', a 41% abv [[India pale ale|IPA]],<ref name=Sink>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7250444/Strongest-beer-in-the-world-Brewdog-produces-41pc-ale.html|title=Strongest beer in the world: Brewdog produces 41pc ale|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|access-date=24 February 2010|date=16 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218131428/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7250444/Strongest-beer-in-the-world-Brewdog-produces-41pc-ale.html|archive-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Tactical Nuclear Penguin'', a 32% abv [[Imperial stout]]. Each of these beers are made using the [[eisbock]] method of [[fractional freezing]], in which a strong ale is partially frozen and the ice is repeatedly removed, until the desired strength is reached,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm|title='World's strongest' beer with 32% strength launched|work=BBC News|access-date=27 November 2009|date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127053016/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm|archive-date=27 November 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46|title=Buy Tactical Nuclear Penguin|work=BrewDog Beer|access-date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129120007/http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46|archive-date=29 November 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> a process that may class the product as [[Distilled drink|spirits]] rather than beer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/beer/beer-anchors-away.html|title=All We Can Eat&nbsp;– Beer: Anchors away|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=24 July 2010 }}</ref> The German brewery Schorschbräu's ''Schorschbock'', a 31% abv eisbock,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/nov/26/worlds-strongest-beer-scottish-brewdog|title=Scottish brewer claims world's strongest beer &#124; Society &#124; guardian.co.uk|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=27 November 2009|author=Severin Carrell|date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130153519/http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/26/worlds-strongest-beer-scottish-brewdog|archive-date=30 November 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schorschbraeu.de/schorschbraeu/site/ |title=Willkommen beim Schorschbräu&nbsp;– Die handwerkliche Kleinbrauerei im Fränkischen Seenland |publisher=schorschbraeu.de |access-date=26 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217014231/http://www.schorschbraeu.de/schorschbraeu/site/ |archive-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ratebeer.com/beer/schorschbrau-schorschbock-31/97069/|title=Schorschbräu Schorschbock 31% from Kleinbrauerei Schorschbräu&nbsp;– Ratebeer|publisher=ratebeer.com|access-date=26 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207083823/http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/schorschbrau-schorschbock-31/97069/|archive-date=7 December 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Hair of the Dog Brewing Company|Hair of the Dog]]'s ''Dave'', a 29% abv [[barley wine]] made in 1994, used the same fractional freezing method.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hair-of-the-dog-dave/23897/|title=Hair of the Dog Dave from Hair of the Dog Brewing Company|publisher=ratebeer.com|access-date=4 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129144911/http://ratebeer.com/beer/hair-of-the-dog-dave/23897/|archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> A 60% abv [[beer cocktail|blend of beer with whiskey]] was jokingly claimed as the strongest beer by a Dutch brewery in July 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S3SR20100729|title=Brewer claims world's strongest beer|work=Reuters|access-date=8 September 2010|author=Ben Berkowitz|date=29 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906063036/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S3SR20100729|archive-date=6 September 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl/cms/|title=Welkom bij Brouwerij Het Koelschip|publisher=brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl|access-date=8 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803063820/http://www.brouwerijhetkoelschip.nl/cms/|archive-date=3 August 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Serving==
===Draught===
{{Main|Draught beer|Cask ale}}
{{Main|Draught beer|Cask ale}}
[[File:Cask Ales.jpg|thumb|left|A selection of [[cask beer]]s]]


[[File:Cask Ales.jpg|thumb|A selection of [[cask beer]]s]]
Draught (also spelled "draft") beer from a pressurised [[keg]] using a lever-style dispenser and a spout is the most common method of dispensing in bars around the world. A metal keg is pressurised with [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) gas which drives the beer to the dispensing [[beer tap|tap]] or faucet. Some beers may be served with a nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture. [[Nitrogen]] produces fine bubbles, resulting in a dense [[Beer head|head]] and a creamy [[mouthfeel]]. Some types of beer can also be found in smaller, disposable kegs called [[beer ball]]s. In traditional pubs, the pull levers for major beer brands may include the beer's logo and trademark.

Draught (also spelled "draft") beer from a pressurised [[keg]] using a lever-style dispenser and a spout is the most common method of dispensing in bars around the world. A metal keg is pressurised with [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) gas which drives the beer to the dispensing [[beer tap|tap]] or faucet. Some beers may be served with a nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture. [[Nitrogen]] produces fine bubbles, resulting in a dense [[Beer head|head]] and a creamy [[mouthfeel]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Draft Beer Quality Manual |url=https://cdn.brewersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/13094643/Draught-Beer-Quality-Manual-2019.pdf |publisher=Brewers Publications |access-date=22 November 2024 |location=Boulder, Colorado |pages=3–4 |chapter=Draught Equipment and System Configurations |date=2019}}</ref> In the 1980s, Guinness introduced the [[Widget (beer)|beer widget]], a nitrogen-pressurised ball inside a can which creates a moderately dense, tight head. This approximates the effect of serving from a keg, at least for a British-style beer which does not have a specially large head.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question446.htm |title=How does the widget in a beer can work? |publisher=[[HowStuffWorks]] |access-date=5 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102214918/http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question446.htm |archive-date=2 November 2007 |url-status=live |date=16 August 2000}}</ref>


Cask-conditioned ales (or cask ales) are unfiltered and unpasteurised beers. These beers are termed "[[real ale]]" by the [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] organisation. When a cask arrives in a pub, it is placed horizontally on a "[[stillage]]" frame, designed to hold it steady and at the right angle, and then allowed to cool to cellar temperature (typically between {{convert|11|–|13|C|F|disp=or}}),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/beer-information/beer-temperature?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czoxMToidGVtcGVyYXR1cmUiO30=|title=Beer Temperature |publisher=cask-marque.co.uk |access-date=21 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027200750/http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/beer-information/beer-temperature?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czoxMToidGVtcGVyYXR1cmUiO30=|archive-date=27 October 2012 |df=dmy-all |date=7 July 2014 }}</ref> before being tapped and vented—a tap is driven through a rubber bung at the bottom of one end, and a hard [[spile]] is used to open a hole in the uppermost side of the cask. The act of stillaging and then venting a beer in this manner typically disturbs all the sediment, so it must be left for a suitable period of hours to days to "drop" (clear) again, as well as to fully [[Brewing#Conditioning|condition the beer]]. At this point the beer is ready to sell, either being pulled through a beer line with a hand pump, or simply being "gravity-fed" directly into the glass.<ref>{{cite book |title=Draft Beer Quality Manual |url=https://cdn.brewersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/13094643/Draught-Beer-Quality-Manual-2019.pdf |publisher=Brewers Publications |access-date=22 November 2024 |location=Boulder, Colorado |pages=95 to 97 |chapter=Appendix D: Notes on Serving Cask Ale |date=2019}}</ref>
In the 1980s, Guinness introduced the [[Widget (beer)|beer widget]], a nitrogen-pressurised ball inside a can which creates a dense, tight head, similar to beer served from a nitrogen system.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question446.htm|title=How does the widget in a beer can work? |publisher= [[HowStuffWorks]] |access-date= 5 November 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071102214918/http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question446.htm |archive-date= 2 November 2007 |url-status= live|date=16 August 2000 }}</ref> The words ''draft'' and ''draught'' can be used as marketing terms to describe canned or [[beer bottle|bottled]] beers containing a beer widget, or which are cold-filtered rather than pasteurised.


Draught beer's environmental impact can be 68% lower than bottled beer due to packaging differences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Draught Beats Bottled in Life Cycle Analysis |url=http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/draught-beer-beats-bottled-in-life-cycle-assessment.html#ch01 |publisher=treehugger.com |access-date=15 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=LCA of an Italian lager |journal=The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=133–139 |doi=10.1065/lca2007.02.306 |year=2007 |last1=Cordella |first1=Mauro |last2=Tugnoli |first2=Alessandro |last3=Spadoni |first3=Gigliola |last4=Santarelli |first4=Francesco |last5=Zangrando |first5=Tullio |s2cid=111273627 }}</ref> A life cycle study of one beer brand, including grain production, brewing, bottling, distribution and waste management, shows that the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from a 6-pack of micro-brew beer is about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).<ref name="newbelgium">{{cite web |title=Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire Amber Ale |url=http://www.newbelgium.com/files/shared/the-carbon-footprint-of-fat-tire-amber-ale-2008-public-dist-rfs_0.pdf |publisher=newbelgium.com |access-date=15 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224214330/http://www.newbelgium.com/files/shared/the-carbon-footprint-of-fat-tire-amber-ale-2008-public-dist-rfs_0.pdf |archive-date=24 February 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The loss of natural habitat potential from the 6-pack of micro-brew beer is estimated to be 2.5 square metres (26 square feet).<ref>{{cite web |title=Ecological effects of beer |url=http://ecofx.org/wiki/index.php?title=Beer |publisher=ecofx.org |access-date=15 January 2008 |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511150428/http://ecofx.org/wiki/index.php?title=Beer |url-status=dead }}</ref> Downstream emissions from distribution, retail, storage and disposal of waste can be over 45% of a bottled micro-brew beer's CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<ref name="newbelgium" /> Where legal, the use of a refillable jug, reusable bottle or other reusable containers to transport draught beer from a store or a bar, rather than buying pre-bottled beer, can reduce the environmental impact of beer consumption.<ref>{{cite web |title=When Passions Collide … |url=http://terrapass.com/society/when-passions-c-1/ |publisher=terrapass.com |access-date=15 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111200646/http://www.terrapass.com/society/when-passions-c-1/ |archive-date=11 November 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Cask-conditioned ales (or cask ales) are unfiltered and unpasteurised beers. These beers are termed "[[real ale]]" by the [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] organisation. Typically, when a cask arrives in a pub, it is placed horizontally on a frame called a "[[stillage]]" which is designed to hold it steady and at the right angle, and then allowed to cool to cellar temperature (typically between {{convert|11|–|13|C|F|disp=or}}),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/beer-information/beer-temperature?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czoxMToidGVtcGVyYXR1cmUiO30= |title= Beer Temperature |publisher= cask-marque.co.uk |access-date= 21 June 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121027200750/http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/beer-information/beer-temperature?highlight=YToxOntpOjA7czoxMToidGVtcGVyYXR1cmUiO30= |archive-date= 27 October 2012 |df= dmy-all |date= 7 July 2014 }}</ref> before being tapped and vented—a tap is driven through a (usually rubber) bung at the bottom of one end, and a hard [[spile]] or other implement is used to open a hole in the side of the cask, which is now uppermost. The act of stillaging and then venting a beer in this manner typically disturbs all the sediment, so it must be left for a suitable period to "drop" (clear) again, as well as to fully [[Brewing#Conditioning|condition]]—this period can take anywhere from several hours to several days. At this point the beer is ready to sell, either being pulled through a beer line with a hand pump, or simply being "gravity-fed" directly into the glass.


=== Packaging ===
Draught beer's environmental impact can be 68% lower than bottled beer due to packaging differences.<ref>{{cite web |title= Draught Beats Bottled in Life Cycle Analysis |url= http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/draught-beer-beats-bottled-in-life-cycle-assessment.html#ch01 |publisher= treehugger.com |access-date= 15 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title= LCA of an Italian lager |journal= The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |volume= 13 |issue= 2 |pages= 133–139 |doi= 10.1065/lca2007.02.306 |year= 2007 |last1= Cordella |first1= Mauro |last2= Tugnoli |first2= Alessandro |last3= Spadoni |first3= Gigliola |last4= Santarelli |first4= Francesco |last5= Zangrando |first5= Tullio |s2cid= 111273627 }}</ref> A life cycle study of one beer brand, including grain production, brewing, bottling, distribution and waste management, shows that the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from a 6-pack of micro-brew beer is about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).<ref name="newbelgium">{{cite web |title= Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire Amber Ale |url= http://www.newbelgium.com/files/shared/the-carbon-footprint-of-fat-tire-amber-ale-2008-public-dist-rfs_0.pdf |publisher= newbelgium.com |access-date= 15 January 2008 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090224214330/http://www.newbelgium.com/files/shared/the-carbon-footprint-of-fat-tire-amber-ale-2008-public-dist-rfs_0.pdf |archive-date= 24 February 2009 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> The loss of natural habitat potential from the 6-pack of micro-brew beer is estimated to be 2.5 square metres (26 square feet).<ref>{{cite web |title= Ecological effects of beer |url= http://ecofx.org/wiki/index.php?title=Beer |publisher= ecofx.org |access-date= 15 January 2008 |archive-date= 11 May 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110511150428/http://ecofx.org/wiki/index.php?title=Beer |url-status= dead }}</ref> Downstream emissions from distribution, retail, storage and disposal of waste can be over 45% of a bottled micro-brew beer's CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.<ref name="newbelgium" /> Where legal, the use of a refillable jug, reusable bottle or other reusable containers to transport draught beer from a store or a bar, rather than buying pre-bottled beer, can reduce the environmental impact of beer consumption.<ref>{{cite web|title= When Passions Collide&nbsp;…|url= http://terrapass.com/society/when-passions-c-1/|publisher= terrapass.com|access-date= 15 January 2008|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121111200646/http://www.terrapass.com/society/when-passions-c-1/|archive-date= 11 November 2012|df= dmy-all}}</ref>


===Packaging===
{{Main|Beer bottle|Drink can}}
{{Main|Beer bottle|Drink can}}
[[File:Dutch beers.jpg|thumb|Assortment of beer bottles]]


[[File:Dutch beers.jpg|thumb|A selection of Belgian, Danish, Dutch, German, and Irish beers]]
Most beers are cleared of yeast by [[filtered beer|filtering]] when packaged in bottles and cans.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-FviAgcmo90C&pg=PA59&dq=beer+classification+ale+lager&lr=&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0GLvHLLvTVL_knmgkSWkPt3iz_eA#PPA58,M1 Google books] Charles W. Bamforth, ''Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing'' pp. 58–59, Oxford University Press US (2003), {{ISBN|0-19-515479-7}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> However, [[bottle conditioning|bottle conditioned]] beers retain some yeast—either by being unfiltered, or by being filtered and then reseeded with fresh yeast.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GG-60Vtl81EC&pg=PA370&dq=beer+bottle+conditioned&lr=&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3zLu6ExkPefZvEj5NVqZxQFH3kcQ Google Books] T. Boekhout, Vincent Robert, ''Yeasts in Food: Beneficial and Detrimental Aspects'' pp. 370–371, Behr's Verlag DE (2003), {{ISBN|3-86022-961-3}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> It is usually recommended that the beer be poured slowly, leaving any yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. However, some drinkers prefer to pour in the yeast; this practice is customary with [[wheat beer]]s. Typically, when serving a [[Wheat beer#Weissbier|hefeweizen wheat beer]], 90% of the contents are poured, and the remainder is swirled to suspend the sediment before pouring it into the glass. Alternatively, the bottle may be inverted prior to opening. Glass bottles are always used for bottle conditioned beers.


Most beers are cleared of yeast by [[filtered beer|filtering]] when packaged in bottles and cans.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-FviAgcmo90C&dq=beer+classification+ale+lager&pg=PA59 Google books] Charles W. Bamforth, ''Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing'' pp. 58–59, Oxford University Press US (2003), {{ISBN|0-19-515479-7}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref> However, [[bottle conditioning|bottle conditioned]] beers retain some yeast—either by being unfiltered, or by being filtered and then reseeded with fresh yeast.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GG-60Vtl81EC&dq=beer+bottle+conditioned&pg=PA370 Google Books] T. Boekhout, Vincent Robert, ''Yeasts in Food: Beneficial and Detrimental Aspects'' pp. 370–371, Behr's Verlag DE (2003), {{ISBN|3-86022-961-3}}. Retrieved 29 September 2008.</ref>
Many beers are sold in cans, though there is considerable variation in the proportion between different countries. In Sweden in 2001, 63.9% of beer was sold in cans.<ref>{{cite web |title=European Beer Statistics—beer sales by package type|publisher=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#package|access-date=5 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070426040130/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=26 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> People either drink from the can or pour the beer into a glass. A technology developed by [[Crown Holdings]] for the 2010 [[FIFA World Cup]] is the 'full aperture' can, so named because the entire lid is removed during the opening process, turning the can into a drinking cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.packwebasia.com/design/packaging-materials-innovation/695-full-aperture-end-technology-makes-drinking-easy|title=Pack Web Asia – Full aperture end technology makes drinking easy|work=Pack Web Asia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230222/http://www.packwebasia.com/design/packaging-materials-innovation/695-full-aperture-end-technology-makes-drinking-easy|archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref> Cans protect the beer from light (thereby preventing [[Skunked beer|"skunked"]] beer) and have a seal less prone to leaking over time than bottles. Cans were initially viewed as a technological breakthrough for maintaining the quality of a beer, then became commonly associated with less expensive, mass-produced beers, even though the quality of storage in cans is much like bottles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/packaging.html|title=Beer Packaging Secrets|publisher=All About Beer Magazine|access-date=5 November 2007|quote=From a quality point of view, cans are much like bottles.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060803/http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/packaging.html|archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> Plastic ([[Polyethylene terephthalate|PET]]) bottles are used by some breweries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.packaging-gateway.com/projects/holsten/|title=Holsten-Brauerei Pet Line for Bottled Beer, Brunswick, Germany|publisher=Packaging-Gateway.com|access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref>


Many beers are sold in cans, though there is considerable variation in the proportion between different countries. In Sweden in 2001, 63.9% of beer was sold in cans.<ref>{{cite web |title=European Beer Statistics—beer sales by package type|publisher=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#package|access-date=5 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070426040130/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=26 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> People either drink from the can or pour the beer into a glass. A technology developed by [[Crown Holdings]] for the 2010 [[FIFA World Cup]] is the 'full aperture' can, so named because the entire lid is removed during the opening process, turning the can into a drinking cup.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.packwebasia.com/design/packaging-materials-innovation/695-full-aperture-end-technology-makes-drinking-easy |title=Pack Web Asia – Full aperture end technology makes drinking easy |work=Pack Web Asia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230222/http://www.packwebasia.com/design/packaging-materials-innovation/695-full-aperture-end-technology-makes-drinking-easy|archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref> Cans protect the beer from light (thereby preventing spoilage) and have a seal less prone to leaking over time than bottles. Cans were initially viewed as a technological breakthrough for maintaining the quality of a beer, then became commonly associated with less expensive, mass-produced beers, even though the quality of storage in cans is much like bottles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/packaging.html |title=Beer Packaging Secrets |publisher=All About Beer Magazine |access-date=5 November 2007 |quote=From a quality point of view, cans are much like bottles. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060803/http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/packaging.html |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> Plastic ([[Polyethylene terephthalate|PET]]) bottles are used by some breweries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.packaging-gateway.com/projects/holsten/ |title=Holsten-Brauerei Pet Line for Bottled Beer, Brunswick, Germany |publisher=Packaging-Gateway.com |access-date=5 November 2007}}</ref>
===Temperature===
The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's experience; warmer temperatures reveal the range of flavours in a beer but cooler temperatures are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer [[pale lager]] to be served chilled, a low- or medium-strength [[pale ale]] to be served cool, while a strong [[barley wine]] or [[imperial stout]] to be served at room temperature.<ref>[http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20000921.php RealBeer] ''Beyond the coldest beer in town'', 21 September 2000. Retrieved 11 October 2008.</ref>


=== Temperature ===
Beer writer [[Michael Jackson (writer)|Michael Jackson]] proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled ({{convert|7|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for "light" beers (pale lagers); chilled ({{convert|8|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for [[Berliner Weisse]] and other wheat beers; lightly chilled ({{convert|9|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for all dark lagers, [[altbier]] and German wheat beers; cellar temperature ({{convert|13|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for regular British [[ale]], [[stout]] and most [[Belgian beer|Belgian specialities]]; and room temperature ({{convert|15.5|°C|°F|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for strong dark ales (especially [[trappist beer]]) and [[barley wine]].<ref>Michael Jackson, ''Michael Jackson's Beer Companion'', Courage Books; 2 edition (27 February 2000), {{ISBN|0-7624-0772-7}}</ref>


The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's experience; warmer temperatures reveal the range of flavours in a beer but cooler temperatures are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer [[pale lager]] to be served chilled, a low- or medium-strength [[pale ale]] to be served cool, while a strong [[barley wine]] or [[imperial stout]] to be served at room temperature.<ref>[http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20000921.php RealBeer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511050203/http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20000921.php |date=11 May 2010 }} ''Beyond the coldest beer in town'', 21 September 2000. Retrieved 11 October 2008.</ref>
Drinking chilled beer began with the development of artificial [[refrigeration]] and by the 1870s, was spread in those countries that concentrated on brewing pale lager.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BuzNzm-x0l8C&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=history+of+lager+refrigeration&source=web&ots=zuaFlbk79s&sig=aMrrvuq_XFnoXl8VjnOHBVIJtbY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result Google Books] Jack S. Blocker, David M. Fahey, Ian R. Tyrrell, ''Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History'' pp95, ABC-CLIO (2003), {{ISBN|978-1-57607-833-4}}</ref> Chilling beer makes it more refreshing,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMB1zH16Q-wC&q=chilled%20drink%20is%20more%20refreshing&pg=PA463|title=Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation|publisher=Cengage Learning|access-date=7 August 2010|isbn=978-0-618-30499-8|year=2004}}</ref> though below 15.5&nbsp;°C (60&nbsp;°F) the chilling starts to reduce taste awareness<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BCLT3hH84GoC&pg=PA178&dq=temperature+on+taste&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U2_XkPWtYEM5WdFhbTqZSpmjbneYg Google Books] Howard Hillman, ''The New Kitchen Science'' pp178, Houghton Mifflin Books (2003), {{ISBN|0-618-24963-X}}</ref> and reduces it significantly below {{convert|10|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GepCDssW1FYC&pg=PA27&dq=taste+perception+temperature+below+50+F&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0yTTlPFkc4qAycbMILslryvNUYww Google Books] Robert J. Harrington, ''Food and Wine Pairing: A Sensory Experience'' pp. 27–28, John Wiley and Sons (2007), {{ISBN|0-471-79407-4}}</ref> Beer served unchilled—either cool or at room temperature—reveal more of their flavours. [[Cask Marque]], a non-profit UK beer organisation, has set a temperature standard range of 12°–14&nbsp;°C (53°–57&nbsp;°F) for cask ales to be served.<ref>[http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/cmoffer/standards.php Cask Marque] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024050245/http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/cmoffer/standards.php |date=24 October 2008 }} Standards & Charters. Retrieved 11 October 2008.</ref>

Beer writer [[Michael Jackson (writer)|Michael Jackson]] proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled ({{convert|7|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for "light" beers (pale lagers); chilled ({{convert|8|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for [[Berliner Weisse]] and other wheat beers; lightly chilled ({{convert|9|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for all dark lagers, [[altbier]] and German wheat beers; cellar temperature ({{convert|13|°C|°F|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for regular British [[ale]], [[stout]] and most [[Belgian beer|Belgian specialities]]; and room temperature ({{convert|15.5|°C|°F|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) for strong dark ales (especially [[trappist beer]]) and [[barley wine]].<ref>{{harvnb|Jackson|2000}}</ref>

Drinking chilled beer began with the development of artificial [[refrigeration]] and by the 1870s, was spread in those countries that concentrated on brewing pale lager.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BuzNzm-x0l8C&dq=history+of+lager+refrigeration&pg=PA95 Google Books] Jack S. Blocker, David M. Fahey, Ian R. Tyrrell, ''Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History'' pp95, ABC-CLIO (2003), {{ISBN|978-1-57607-833-4}}</ref> Chilling beer makes it more refreshing,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMB1zH16Q-wC&q=chilled%20drink%20is%20more%20refreshing&pg=PA463 |title=Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation |publisher=Cengage Learning |access-date=7 August 2010 |isbn=978-0-618-30499-8 |year=2004}}</ref> though below 15.5&nbsp;°C (60&nbsp;°F) the chilling starts to reduce taste awareness<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BCLT3hH84GoC&dq=temperature+on+taste&pg=PA178 Google Books] Howard Hillman, ''The New Kitchen Science'' pp178, Houghton Mifflin Books (2003), {{ISBN|0-618-24963-X}}</ref> and reduces it significantly below {{convert|10|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GepCDssW1FYC&dq=taste+perception+temperature+below+50+F&pg=PA27 Google Books] Robert J. Harrington, ''Food and Wine Pairing: A Sensory Experience'' pp. 27–28, John Wiley and Sons (2007), {{ISBN|0-471-79407-4}}</ref> Beer served unchilled—either cool or at room temperature—reveal more of their flavours. [[Cask Marque]], a non-profit UK beer organisation, has set a temperature standard range of 12°–14&nbsp;°C (53°–57&nbsp;°F) for cask ales to be served.<ref>[http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/cmoffer/standards.php Cask Marque] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024050245/http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/cmoffer/standards.php |date=24 October 2008 }} Standards & Charters. Retrieved 11 October 2008.</ref>

=== Vessels ===


===Vessels===
{{Main|Beer glassware}}
{{Main|Beer glassware}}


Beer is consumed out of a variety of vessels, such as a glass, a [[beer stein]], a mug, a [[pewter]] [[tankard]], a beer bottle or a can; or at [[music festival]]s and some bars and nightclubs, from a plastic cup. The shape of the glass from which beer is consumed can influence the perception of the beer and can define and accent the character of the style.<ref>F. G. Priest, Graham G. Stewart, ''Handbook of Brewing'' (2006), 48</ref> Breweries offer branded glassware intended only for their own beers as a marketing promotion, as this increases sales of their product.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=64595|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724020628/http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=64595|archive-date=24 July 2011|title=How Miller Brands partners with licensees to drive sales|publisher=thepublican.com|access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref>
Beer is consumed out of a variety of vessels, such as a glass, a [[beer stein]], a mug, a [[pewter]] [[tankard]], a beer bottle or a can; or at [[music festival]]s and some bars and nightclubs, from a plastic cup. The shape of the glass from which beer is consumed can influence the perception of the beer and can define and accent the character of the style.<ref>F. G. Priest, Graham G. Stewart, ''Handbook of Brewing'' (2006), 48</ref> Breweries offer branded glassware intended only for their own beers as a marketing promotion, as this increases sales of their product.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=64595 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724020628/http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=64595 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |title=How Miller Brands partners with licensees to drive sales |publisher=thepublican.com |access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref>


The pouring process has an influence on a beer's presentation. The rate of flow from the [[beer tap|tap]] or other serving vessel, tilt of the glass, and position of the pour (in the centre or down the side) into the glass all influence the result, such as the size and longevity of the head, lacing (the pattern left by the head as it moves down the glass as the beer is drunk), and the release of [[carbonation]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xnLeJAPYzGkC&pg=PA211&dq=pouring+beer&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U2vCrDBPoQzAIFMN2gjtxKYYQZW3Q Google Books] Ray Foley, Heather Dismore, ''Running a Bar For Dummies'' pp. 211–212, For Dummies (2007), {{ISBN|0-470-04919-7}}.</ref>
The pouring process has an influence on a beer's presentation. The rate of flow from the [[beer tap|tap]] or other serving vessel, tilt of the glass, and position of the pour (in the centre or down the side) into the glass all influence the result, such as the size and longevity of the head, lacing (the pattern left by the head as it moves down the glass as the beer is drunk), and the release of [[carbonation]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xnLeJAPYzGkC&dq=pouring+beer&pg=PA211 Google Books] Ray Foley, Heather Dismore, ''Running a Bar For Dummies'' pp. 211–212, For Dummies (2007), {{ISBN|0-470-04919-7}}.</ref>
A [[beer tower]] is a beer dispensing device, usually found in bars and pubs, that consists of a cylinder attached to a beer cooling device at the bottom. Beer is dispensed from the beer tower into a drinking vessel.


A [[beer tower]] or portable beer tap is sometimes used in bars and restaurants to allow a group of customers to serve themselves. The device consists of a tall container with a cooling mechanism and a beer tap at its base.<ref >{{cite web | url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2011/03/boston_licensing_officials_ban.html |last=Rocheleau |first=Matt |title=Boston licensing officials suspend use of large, portable "beer towers" |publisher=Boston.com |date=29 March 2011 |accessdate=24 April 2014}}</ref>
==Health effects==

{{See also|Short-term effects of alcohol consumption |Long-term effects of alcohol consumption }}
==Chemistry==
{{main|Beer chemistry}}
[[File:Fluorescence in beer @ 450nm illumination.jpg|thumb|Organic [[aromatic acid]]s found naturally in beer, such as [[tryptophan]], [[tyrosine]], and [[phenylalanine]], absorb blue light and [[fluorescence|fluoresce]] in green under 450 nm laser light.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dramićanin |first1=Tatjana |last2=Zeković |first2=Ivana |last3=Periša |first3=Jovana |last4=Dramićanin |first4=Miroslav D. |date=8 August 2019 |title=The parallel factor analysis of beer fluorescence |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10895-019-02421-0 |journal=Journal of Fluorescence |volume=29 |issue=5 |pages=1103–1111 |doi=10.1007/s10895-019-02421-0 |pmid=31396828 |s2cid=199507550 |via=springer.com}}</ref>]]
Beer contains the phenolic acids [[4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid]], [[vanillic acid]], [[caffeic acid]], [[syringic acid]], [[p-Coumaric acid|''p''-coumaric acid]], [[ferulic acid]], and [[sinapic acid]]. [[Alkaline hydrolysis]] experiments show that most of the phenolic acids are present as bound forms and only a small portion can be detected as free compounds.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nardini |first1=M. |year=2004 |title=Determination of free and bound phenolic acids in beer |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=84 |pages=137–143 |doi=10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00257-7}}</ref> [[Hops]], and beer made with it, contain [[8-prenylnaringenin]] which is a potent [[phytoestrogen]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nikolic |first1=D. |last2=Li |first2=Y. |last3=Chadwick |first3=L.R. |last4=Grubjesic |first4=S. |last5=Schwab |first5=P. |last6=Metz |first6=P. |last7=van&nbsp;Breemen |first7=R.B. |year=2004 |title=Metabolism of 8-prenylnaringenin, a potent phytoestrogen from hops (Humulus lupulus), by human liver microsomes |journal=Drug Metabolism and Disposition |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=272–279 |doi=10.1124/dmd.32.2.272 |pmid=14744951 |s2cid=17486431}}</ref> Hop also contains [[myrcene]], [[humulene]], [[xanthohumol]], [[isoxanthohumol]], [[myrcenol]], [[linalool]], tannins, and [[resin]]. The alcohol [[2-Methyl-2-butanol|2M2B]] is a component of hops brewing.<ref name="Herb2K">{{cite web |title=Hops: Humulus lupulus |url=http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_hops.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215172952/http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_hops.htm |archive-date=15 February 2009 |access-date=14 February 2009 |website=herbs2000.com}}</ref>


Barley, in the form of malt, brings the condensed [[tannin]]s [[prodelphinidin B3|prodelphinidins B3]], [[Prodelphinidin B9|B9]] and [[Prodelphinidin C2|C2]] into beer. [[Tryptophol]], [[tyrosol]], and [[phenethyl alcohol|phenylethanol]] are aromatic higher alcohols ([[congener (alcohol)|congeners]]) produced by yeast during the brewing process.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Szlavko |first1=Clara M. |year=1973 |title=Tryptophol, tyrosol, and phenylethanol - the aromatic higher alcohols in beer |journal=Journal of the Institute of Brewing |volume=79 |issue=4 |pages=283–288 |doi=10.1002/j.2050-0416.1973.tb03541.x |doi-access=free}}</ref> as secondary products of [[alcoholic fermentation]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ribéreau-Gayon |first1=P. |last2=Sapis |first2=J.C. |year=1965 |title=On the presence in wine of tyrosol, tryptophol, phenylethyl alcohol and gamma-butyrolactone, secondary products of alcoholic fermentation |journal=Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences |series=Série D |volume=261 |issue=8 |pages=1915–1916 |pmid=4954284 |language=fr}}
A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis found that moderate ethanol consumption brought no mortality benefit compared with lifetime abstention from ethanol consumption.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Stockwell T, Zhao J, Panwar S, Roemer A, Naimi T, Chikritzhs T |title=Do "Moderate" Drinkers Have Reduced Mortality Risk? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and All-Cause Mortality |journal=J Stud Alcohol Drugs |volume=77 |issue=2 |pages=185–98 |date=March 2016 |pmid=26997174 |pmc=4803651 |doi= 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.185}}</ref> Some studies have concluded that drinking small quantities of alcohol (less than one drink in women and two in men, per day) is associated with a ''decreased'' risk of [[heart disease]], [[stroke]], [[diabetes mellitus]], and early death.<ref name="Kee2014">{{cite journal|last1=O'Keefe|first1=JH|last2=Bhatti|first2=SK|last3=Bajwa|first3=A|last4=DiNicolantonio|first4=JJ|last5=Lavie|first5=CJ|title=Alcohol and cardiovascular health: the dose makes the poison...or the remedy.|journal=Mayo Clinic Proceedings|date=March 2014|volume=89|issue=3|pages=382–93|pmid=24582196|doi=10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.11.005|doi-access=free}}</ref> Some of these studies combined former ethanol drinkers and lifelong abstainers into a single group of nondrinkers, which hides the health benefits of lifelong abstention from ethanol. The [[Long-term effects of alcohol consumption|long-term health effects]] of continuous, moderate or heavy alcohol consumption include the risk of developing [[alcoholism]] and [[alcoholic liver disease]]. [[Alcoholism]], also known as "alcohol use disorder", is a broad term for any drinking of [[ethanol|alcohol]] that results in problems.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Jill Littrell|title=Understanding and Treating Alcoholism Volume I: An Empirically Based Clinician's Handbook for the Treatment of Alcoholism: Volume II: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Alcohol Consumption and Abuse|date=2014|publisher=Taylor and Francis|location=Hoboken|isbn=9781317783145|page=55|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2k57AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA55|quote=The World Health Organization defines alcoholism as any drinking which results in problems}}</ref> It was previously divided into two types: [[alcohol abuse]] and [[alcohol dependence]].<ref name="NIH2003">{{cite journal|last1=Hasin|first1=Deborah|title=Classification of Alcohol Use Disorders|url=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/5-17.htm|journal=Alcohol Research & Health|access-date=28 February 2015|date=December 2003|volume=27|issue=1|pages=5–17|pmid=15301396|pmc=6676702}}</ref><ref name="NIH2013">{{cite web|title=Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM–IV and DSM–5|url=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/dsmfactsheet/dsmfact.htm|access-date=9 May 2015|date=November 2013}}</ref> In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions is present: a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, [[Alcohol withdrawal syndrome|withdrawal]] occurs when stopping, and [[alcohol tolerance]] has occurred with use.<ref name="NIH2013" /> Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years<ref name="Schu2014">{{cite journal|last1=Schuckit|first1=MA|title=Recognition and management of withdrawal delirium (delirium tremens).|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|date=27 November 2014|volume=371|issue=22|pages=2109–13|pmid=25427113|doi=10.1056/NEJMra1407298|url=http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/08b9z9th}}</ref> and alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.<ref name="Kee2014" /> No professional medical association recommends that people who are nondrinkers should start drinking alcoholic beverages.<ref name="Kee2014" /><ref>[http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Alcohol-and-Heart-Health_UCM_305173_Article.jsp ''Alcohol and Heart Health''] American Heart Association</ref> A total of 3.3 million deaths (5.9% of all deaths) are believed to be due to alcohol.<ref name="NIH2015Stats">{{cite web |title=Alcohol Facts and Statistics|url=http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics|access-date=9 May 2015}}</ref>
</ref>


=== Nutrition ===
It is considered that overeating and lack of muscle tone is the main cause of a [[beer belly]], rather than beer consumption. A 2004 study, however, found a link between [[binge drinking]] and a beer belly. But with most overconsumption, it is more a problem of improper exercise and overconsumption of carbohydrates than the product itself.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drink binges 'cause beer belly'|work=BBC News|date=28 November 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4048969.stm|access-date=6 November 2006}}</ref> Several diet books quote beer as having an undesirably high [[glycemic index]] of 110, the same as [[maltose]]; however, the maltose in beer undergoes [[metabolism]] by yeast during fermentation so that beer consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace amounts of sugars, including maltose.<ref>{{cite book |author=Bob Skilnik|title=Is there maltose in your beer?|publisher=Realbeer|url=http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/maltose.php|access-date=23 December 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071219202244/http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/maltose.php|archive-date=19 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>


Beers vary in their nutritional content.<ref name="Sugar">{{cite web |first=Jenny |last=Sugar |url=http://www.fitsugar.com/Calories-Popular-Beers-1504697 |title=Calories in Popular Beers |publisher=Fitsugar.com |date=25 October 2013 |access-date=10 October 2013}}</ref> The ingredients used to make beer, including the [[Yeast#Beer|yeast]], provide a rich source of nutrients; therefore beer may contain nutrients including [[magnesium]], [[selenium]], [[potassium]], [[phosphorus]], [[biotin]], [[chromium]] and [[B vitamins]]. Beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid [[bread]]",<ref>{{cite conference |first=Charles W. |last=Bamforth |title=Beer as liquid bread: Overlapping science. |book-title=World Grains Summit 2006: Foods and Beverages |date=17–20 September 2006 |location=San Francisco, California |url=http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/Documents/Pre2009Abstracts/2006Abstracts/O-76.htm |access-date=6 November 2006 |archive-date=17 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217052902/http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/Documents/Pre2009Abstracts/2006Abstracts/O-76.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> though beer is not a meal in itself.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHArQOTf_WQC&pg=PA137 |page=137 |title=Beer: Health and Nutrition |first=Charles W. |last=Bamforth |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |date=15 April 2008 |isbn=978-1405147972}}</ref>
==Nutritional information==
Beers vary in their nutritional content.<ref name="Sugar">{{cite web |author=Jenny Sugar|url=http://www.fitsugar.com/Calories-Popular-Beers-1504697|title=Calories in Popular Beers|publisher=Fitsugar.com|date=25 October 2013|access-date=10 October 2013}}</ref> The ingredients used to make beer, including the [[Yeast#Beer|yeast]], provide a rich source of nutrients; therefore beer may contain nutrients including [[magnesium]], [[selenium]], [[potassium]], [[phosphorus]], [[biotin]], [[chromium]] and [[B vitamins]]. Beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid [[bread]]",<ref>{{cite conference|author=Charles W. Bamforth|title=Beer as liquid bread: Overlapping science.|book-title=World Grains Summit 2006: Foods and Beverages|date=17–20 September 2006|location=San Francisco, California, US|url=http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/Documents/Pre2009Abstracts/2006Abstracts/O-76.htm|access-date=6 November 2006|conference=|archive-date=17 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217052902/http://www.aaccnet.org/meetings/Documents/Pre2009Abstracts/2006Abstracts/O-76.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> though beer is not a meal in itself.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHArQOTf_WQC&pg=PA137|page=137|title=Beer: Health and Nutrition|author=Charles W. Bamforth|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|date= 15 April 2008|isbn=9781405147972}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
{|
|+ '''Nutritional information of different beers<br />(serving size: 12 oz./355 ml)'''
|+ '''Nutrition from different beers<br/>(serving size: 12 oz./355 ml)'''
|-
|-
! Beer Brand !! Carbohydrate <br/> (g) !! Alcohol <br/> (%) !! Energy <br/> (kcal)
||
|-
|-
| [[Anheuser-Busch brands#Budweiser Select 55|Budweiser Select 55]] || 1.8 || 2.4 || 55
|style="border-top: solid black 1px; border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;Beer Brand&nbsp;
|style="border-top: solid black 1px; border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;Carbohydrate<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(g)&nbsp;
|style="border-top: solid black 1px; border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;Alcohol&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;(%)
|style="border-top: solid black 1px; border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;Energy&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;(kcal)&nbsp;
|-
|-
| [[Coors Light]] || 5 || 4.2 || 102
| &nbsp;[[Anheuser-Busch brands#Budweiser Select 55|Budweiser Select 55]]&nbsp; || &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1.8 || &nbsp;2.4 || &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;55 ||
|-
|-
| &nbsp;[[Coors Light]]&nbsp; || &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5 || &nbsp;4.2 || &nbsp;102 ||
| [[Guinness]] Draught || 10 || 4.0 || 126
|-
|-
| [[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company|Sierra Nevada]] Bigfoot || 30.3 || 9.6 || 330
| &nbsp;[[Guinness]] Draught&nbsp; || &nbsp;10 || &nbsp;4.0 || &nbsp;126 ||
|-
|style="border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;[[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company|Sierra Nevada]] Bigfoot&nbsp; ||style="border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;30.3 ||style="border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;9.6 ||style="border-bottom: solid black 1px"| &nbsp;330 ||
|}
|}


==Society and culture==
==Health effects==
{{See also|Category:Beer culture}}
[[File:Oktoberfest2.jpg|thumb|left|A tent at Munich's [[Oktoberfest]] in Germany. The event is known as the world's largest beer festival.]]
[[File:ASC Leiden - W.E.A. van Beek Collection - Thuis in Afrika - 00.1 - Cover photo. Zra Kangacè and Tizhè Zra Damba drinking millet beer - Mogodé, Cameroon - 1998.jpg|thumb|Beer culture in [[Cameroon]]. A friendship drink of millet beer at the market, [[Mogode]], [[Cameroon]], 1998.]]


{{See also|Short-term effects of alcohol consumption |Long-term effects of alcohol consumption }}
In many societies, beer is the most popular alcoholic drink. Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, or other pub games; attending [[beer festival]]s; engaging in zythology (the study of beer);<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't worry, be hoppy: The Weekender's Guide to Beer|url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/weekender/community/don-t-worry-be-hoppy-the-weekender-s-guide-to/article_f7312865-b20b-59ef-8492-037060167bd8.html|access-date=17 August 2015|work=Sioux City Journal|date=8 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=International Beer Day: 10 things you never knew about beer|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/international-beer-day-10-things-you-never-knew-about-beer/story-fneuz92c-1227010274449|access-date=17 August 2015|work=The News|date=1 August 2014|archive-date=28 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028013448/http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/international-beer-day-10-things-you-never-knew-about-beer/story-fneuz92c-1227010274449|url-status=dead}}</ref> visiting a [[pub crawl|series of pubs]] in one evening; visiting breweries; beer-oriented tourism; or [[rating beer]].<ref>[[Leslie Dunkling]] & Michael Jackson, ''The Guinness Drinking Companion'', Lyons Press (2003), {{ISBN|1-58574-617-7}}</ref> [[Drinking game]]s, such as [[beer pong]], are also popular.<ref>''Best Drinking Game Book Ever'', Carlton Books (28 October 2002), {{ISBN|1-85868-560-5}}</ref> A relatively new profession is that of the [[beer sommelier]], who informs restaurant patrons about beers and food pairings.


A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis found that moderate ethanol consumption brought no mortality benefit compared with lifetime abstention from ethanol consumption.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stockwell |first1=Tim |last2=Zhao |first2=Jinhui |last3=Panwar |first3=Sapna |last4=Roemer |first4=Audra |last5=Naimi |first5=Timothy |last6=Chikritzhs |first6=Tanya |title=Do "Moderate" Drinkers Have Reduced Mortality Risk? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and All-Cause Mortality |journal=J Stud Alcohol Drugs |volume=77 |issue=2 |pages=185–98 |date=March 2016 |pmid=26997174 |pmc=4803651 |doi= 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.185}}</ref> Some studies have concluded that drinking small quantities of alcohol (less than one drink in women and two in men, per day) is associated with a ''decreased'' risk of [[heart disease]], [[stroke]], [[diabetes mellitus]], and early death.<ref name="Kee2014">{{cite journal |last1=O'Keefe|first1=J.H. |last2=Bhatti|first2=S.K. |last3=Bajwa|first3=A. |last4=DiNicolantonio|first4=J.J. |last5=Lavie|first5=C.J. |title=Alcohol and cardiovascular health: the dose makes the poison...or the remedy. |journal=Mayo Clinic Proceedings |date=March 2014 |volume=89 |issue=3 |pages=382–93 |pmid=24582196 |doi=10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.11.005 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Some of these studies combined former ethanol drinkers and lifelong abstainers into a single group of nondrinkers, which hides the health benefits of lifelong abstention from ethanol. The [[Long-term effects of alcohol consumption|long-term health effects]] of continuous, moderate or heavy alcohol consumption include the risk of developing [[alcoholism]] and [[alcoholic liver disease]]. [[Alcoholism]], also known as "alcohol use disorder", is a broad term for any drinking of [[ethanol|alcohol]] that results in problems.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jill |last=Littrell |title=Understanding and Treating Alcoholism Volume I: An Empirically Based Clinician's Handbook for the Treatment of Alcoholism: Volume II: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Alcohol Consumption and Abuse|date=2014 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |location=Hoboken |isbn=9781317783145 |page=55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2k57AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |quote=The World Health Organization defines alcoholism as any drinking which results in problems}}</ref> It was previously divided into two types: [[alcohol abuse]] and [[alcohol dependence]].<ref name="NIH2003">{{cite journal |last1=Hasin |first1=Deborah |title=Classification of Alcohol Use Disorders |url=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/5-17.htm |journal=Alcohol Research & Health |access-date=28 February 2015 |date=December 2003 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=5–17 |pmid=15301396|pmc=6676702 |archive-date=18 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318014903/http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/5-17.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NIH2013">{{cite web |title=Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM–IV and DSM–5 |url=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/dsmfactsheet/dsmfact.htm |access-date=9 May 2015 |date=November 2013}}</ref> In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions are present: a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, [[Alcohol withdrawal syndrome|withdrawal]] occurs when stopping, and [[alcohol tolerance]] has occurred with use.<ref name="NIH2013" /> Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years<ref name="Schu2014">{{cite journal |last1=Schuckit |first1=M.A. |title=Recognition and management of withdrawal delirium (delirium tremens).|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine |date=27 November 2014 |volume=371 |issue=22 |pages=2109–13 |pmid=25427113 |doi=10.1056/NEJMra1407298 |s2cid=205116954 |url=http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/08b9z9th}}</ref> and alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.<ref name="Kee2014" /> No professional medical association recommends that people who are nondrinkers should start drinking alcoholic beverages.<ref name="Kee2014" /><ref>[http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Alcohol-and-Heart-Health_UCM_305173_Article.jsp ''Alcohol and Heart Health''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119121521/http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Alcohol-and-Heart-Health_UCM_305173_Article.jsp |date=19 January 2016 }} American Heart Association</ref> In the United States, a total of 3.3 million deaths per year (5.9% of all deaths) are believed to be due to alcohol.<ref name="NIH2015Stats">{{cite web |title=Alcohol Facts and Statistics |url=http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics |access-date=9 May 2015 |archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518081638/http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Beer is considered to be a [[social lubricant]] in many societies<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964204.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611094703/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964204.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 June 2014|title=Beer Boss|author=Michael Sherer|work=Cheers|date=1 June 2001|access-date=14 November 2007}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Alcohol: Anthropological/Archaeological Perspectives|author=Michael Dietler|work=Annual Review of Anthropology, vol.35, pp.&nbsp;229–249|year=2006}}</ref> and is [[Beer consumption by country|consumed in countries]] all over the world. There are breweries in Middle Eastern countries such as [[Beer in Syria|Syria]], and in some [[Beer in Africa|African countries]]. Sales of beer are four times those of wine, which is the second most popular alcoholic drink.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beer Production Per Capita|work=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#consumption|access-date=17 October 2006| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028165040/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=28 October 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>


Overeating and lack of muscle tone is the main cause of a [[beer belly]], rather than beer consumption, though a 2004 study found a link between [[binge drinking]] and a beer belly.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drink binges 'cause beer belly'|work=BBC News|date=28 November 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4048969.stm|access-date=6 November 2006}}</ref> Several diet books quote beer as having an undesirably high [[glycemic index]] of 110, the same as [[maltose]]; however, the maltose in beer undergoes [[metabolism]] by yeast during fermentation so that beer consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace amounts of sugars, including maltose.<ref>{{cite book |first=Bob |last=Skilnik|title=Is there maltose in your beer? |publisher=Realbeer |url=http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/maltose.php |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071219202244/http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/maltose.php |archive-date=19 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>
A study published in the ''Neuropsychopharmacology'' journal in 2013 revealed the finding that the [[flavour]] of beer alone could provoke [[dopamine]] activity in the brain of the male participants, who wanted to drink more as a result. The 49 men in the study were subject to [[positron emission tomography]] scans, while a computer-controlled device sprayed minute amounts of beer, water and a [[sports drink]] onto their tongues. Compared with the taste of the sports drink, the taste of beer significantly increased the participants desire to drink. Test results indicated that the flavour of the beer triggered a [[dopamine]] release, even though alcohol content in the spray was insufficient for the purpose of becoming intoxicated.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beer on the brain: how taste alone can drive men to drink|url=http://theconversation.com/beer-on-the-brain-how-taste-alone-can-drive-men-to-drink-13509|work=The Conversation|publisher=The Conversation Media Group|access-date=18 April 2013|author=Carley Tonoli|author2=Liz Minchin|date=16 April 2013}}</ref>


The multi-step process of beer production is effective at removing [[pesticide]] residues from grain. At each step (e.g. mashing or malting) pesticide levels are typically reduced by 50-90%, varying with the particular process and pesticide's chemical properties.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kaczyński |first1=Piotr |last2=Iwaniuk |first2=Piotr |last3=Hrynko |first3=Izabela |last4=Łuniewski |first4=Stanisław |last5=Łozowicka |first5=Bożena |title=The effect of the multi-stage process of wheat beer brewing on the behavior of pesticides according to their physicochemical properties |journal=Food Control |date=June 2024 |volume=160 |pages=110356 |doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110356}}</ref>
Some breweries have developed beers to [[Foodpairing|pair with food]].<ref name='Murphy'>{{cite news | author=Linda Murphy | title=Chipotle beer heats up Cinco de Mayo | date=4 May 2006 | url =http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/04/WIGA7IJFVB1.DTL | work =San Francisco Chronicle | access-date =17 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name='Beervana'>{{cite news|author=John Foyston |title=Fred Eckhardt 's Beer-and-Cheese Tasting |date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Oregonian |url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2007/07/fred_ecckhardt_s_beerand_chees.html |work=The Beer Here blog |access-date=17 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124213528/http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2007/07/fred_ecckhardt_s_beerand_chees.html |archive-date=24 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Janet Fletcher | title=Forget wine and cheese parties – the true soul mate for fromage isn't made from grape juice. | date=17 February 2005 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/17/WIGHKBA1OC1.DTL | work =San Francisco Chronicle | access-date =17 September 2007 }}</ref> Wine writer [[Malcolm Gluck]] disputed the need to pair beer with food, while beer writers [[Roger Protz]] and Melissa Cole contested that claim.<ref>Protz, Roger, ''The Guardian'': Word of Mouth (15 January 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/15/beer-wine-britain-drinking-habits Let's hear it for beer]</ref><ref>Cole, Melissa, ''The Guardian'': Word of Mouth (27 January 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/23/gluck-cole-beer-wine-drink The eye of the ale storm]</ref><ref>''[[The Guardian]]'': Word of Mouth (6 February 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/feb/06/gluck-cole-beer-food-matching Beer-drinking sadsacks strike back]</ref>


A 2013 study found that the [[Flavour (taste)|flavour]] of beer alone could provoke [[dopamine]] activity in the brain of the male participants, who wanted to drink more as a result. The 49 men in the study were subject to [[positron emission tomography]] scans, while a computer-controlled device sprayed minute amounts of beer, water and a [[sports drink]] onto their tongues. Compared with the taste of the sports drink, the taste of beer significantly increased the participants desire to drink. Test results indicated that the flavour of the beer triggered a [[dopamine]] release, even though alcohol content in the spray was insufficient for the purpose of becoming intoxicated.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beer on the brain: how taste alone can drive men to drink |url=http://theconversation.com/beer-on-the-brain-how-taste-alone-can-drive-men-to-drink-13509 |work=The Conversation |publisher=The Conversation Media Group |access-date=18 April 2013 |first1=Carley |last1=Tonoli |first2=Liz |last2=Minchin |date=16 April 2013}}</ref>
==Related drinks==
{{See also|Category:Types of beer}}
Around the world, there are many traditional and ancient starch-based drinks classed as beer. In Africa, there are various ethnic beers made from [[sorghum]] or [[millet]], such as [[Oshikundu]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2100/268/5/05Section3toBib.pdf|title=Recuperation|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002104412/http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2100/268/5/05Section3toBib.pdf|archive-date=2 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> in Namibia and [[Tella]] in Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/ethiop/ethiop_foods.html|title=EthnoMed: Traditional Foods of the Central Ethiopian Highlands|publisher=Ethnomed.org|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411224116/http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/ethiop/ethiop_foods.html|archive-date=11 April 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Kyrgyzstan]] also has a beer made from millet; it is a low alcohol, somewhat porridge-like drink called "Bozo".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Surina|first1=Asele|last2=Mack|first2=Glenn Randall|title=Food culture in Russia and Central Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7MTx_zcIR0C&q=Kyrgyzstan+bozo&pg=PA101|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=Westport, Connecticut|isbn=978-0-313-32773-5}}</ref> [[Bhutan]], Nepal, [[Tibet]] and [[Sikkim]] also use millet in [[Chhaang]], a popular semi-fermented rice/millet drink in the eastern [[Himalaya]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trek2himalaya.com/nepal/research_culture_tourism.php|title=Research & Culture, Kathmandu rich in Culture, Machchhendranath Temple, Akash Bhairav Temple, Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Temple of Kumari Ghar, Jaishi Dewal, Martyr's Memorial (Sahid) Gate, Singha Durbar|publisher=Trek2himalaya.com|access-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013021707/http://www.trek2himalaya.com/nepal/research_culture_tourism.php|archive-date=13 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Further east in China are found [[Huangjiu]] and [[Choujiu]]—traditional rice-based drinks related to beer.


== Society and culture ==
The [[Andes]] in South America has [[Chicha]], made from germinated maize (corn); while the [[indigenous peoples in Brazil]] have [[Cauim]], a traditional drink made since pre-Columbian times by chewing [[manioc]] so that an enzyme ([[amylase]]) present in human saliva can break down the starch into fermentable sugars;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5GPthV9MyccC&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=Cauim+chewed&source=web&ots=GxROXeoASu&sig=8FN4t_HrDDVYqZ8_g3A2WJJVeQo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result Books.google.co.uk], Lewin Louis and Louis Levin, ''Phantastica: A Classic Survey on the Use and Abuse of Mind-Altering Plants'', Inner Traditions / Bear & Company (1998), {{ISBN|0-89281-783-6}}</ref> this is similar to Masato in [[Peru]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Anthropological Review|url=https://archive.org/details/anthropological01londgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/anthropological01londgoog/page/n48 41]|quote=Masato yuca.|year=1863|publisher=Trübner|author=Anthropological Society of London|isbn=978-0-559-56998-2}}</ref>


{{anchor|Beer culture}}
Some beers which are [[Beer from bread|made from bread]], which is linked to the earliest forms of beer, are [[Sahti]] in Finland, [[Kvass]] in Russia and [[Ukraine]], and [[Bouza (beer)|Bouza]] in Sudan. 4000 years ago fermented bread was used in Mesopotamia. [[Food waste]] activists got inspired by this ancient recipes and use leftover bread to replace a third of the malted barley that would otherwise be used for brewing their craft ale.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oli Bloor, Ed Scott-Clarke and Katy Scott|date=18 December 2017|title=The brewery that turns bread into beer|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/world/toast-ale/index.html|access-date=19 November 2020|website=CNN}}</ref>
{{See also|Drinking culture|Category:Beer culture}}


[[File:Oktoberfest2.jpg|thumb|A tent at Munich's [[Oktoberfest]] in Germany. The event is known as the world's largest beer festival.]]
==Chemistry==
{{main|Beer chemistry}}
Beer contains the phenolic acids [[4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid]], [[vanillic acid]], [[caffeic acid]], [[syringic acid]], [[p-Coumaric acid|''p''-coumaric acid]], [[ferulic acid]], and [[sinapic acid]]. [[Alkaline hydrolysis]] experiments show that most of the phenolic acids are present as bound forms and only a small portion can be detected as free compounds.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00257-7|title=Determination of free and bound phenolic acids in beer|year=2004|last1=Nardini|first1=M|journal=Food Chemistry|volume=84|pages=137–143}}</ref> [[Hops]], and beer made with it, contain [[8-prenylnaringenin]] which is a potent [[phytoestrogen]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=14744951|year=2004|last1=Nikolic|first1=D|last2=Li|first2=Y|last3=Chadwick|first3=LR|last4=Grubjesic|first4=S|last5=Schwab|first5=P|last6=Metz|first6=P|last7=Van Breemen|first7=RB|s2cid=17486431|title=Metabolism of 8-prenylnaringenin, a potent phytoestrogen from hops (Humulus lupulus), by human liver microsomes|volume=32|issue=2|pages=272–9|doi=10.1124/dmd.32.2.272|journal=Drug Metabolism and Disposition}}</ref> Hop also contains [[myrcene]], [[humulene]], [[xanthohumol]], [[isoxanthohumol]], [[myrcenol]], [[linalool]], tannins, and [[resin]]. The alcohol [[2-Methyl-2-butanol|2M2B]] is a component of hops brewing.<ref name="Herb2K">{{cite web |url=http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_hops.htm|title=Hops: Humulus lupulus|access-date=14 February 2009}}</ref>


Some of the earliest writings mention the production and distribution of beer: the {{circa}} 1750 BC Babylonian [[Code of Hammurabi]] included laws regulating it,<ref>{{cite web |title=Beer before bread |department=Alaska Science Forum |id=1039 |editor-first=Carla |editor-last=Helfferich |publisher=[[University of Alaska]] |series=Geophysical Institute |place=Fairbanks, Alaska |url=http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html |access-date=13 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509121452/http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html |archive-date=9 May 2008}}</ref> while "The Hymn to [[Ninkasi]]", a {{circa}} 1800 BC prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.<ref name=Nin-kasi>{{cite web |title=Nin-kasi: Mesopotamian goddess of beer |department=Spotlight |website=Matrifocus |year=2006 |editor-first=Johanna |editor-last=Stuckey |url=http://www.matrifocus.com/SAM06/spotlight.htm |access-date=13 May 2008}}</ref><ref name=sumer>{{cite book |last1=Black |first1=Jeremy A. |last2=Cunningham |first2=Graham |last3=Robson |first3=Eleanor |author3-link=Eleanor Robson |year=2004 |title=The Literature of Ancient Sumer |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-926311-0}}</ref>
Barley, in the form of malt, brings the condensed [[tannin]]s [[prodelphinidin B3|prodelphinidins B3]], [[Prodelphinidin B9|B9]] and [[Prodelphinidin C2|C2]] into beer. [[Tryptophol]], [[tyrosol]], and [[phenethyl alcohol|phenylethanol]] are aromatic higher alcohols found in beer<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/j.2050-0416.1973.tb03541.x|title=Tryptophol, Tyrosol and Phenylethanol-The Aromatic Higher Alcohols in Beer|year=1973|last1=Szlavko|first1=Clara M.|journal=Journal of the Institute of Brewing|volume=79|issue=4|pages=283–288}}</ref> as secondary products of [[alcoholic fermentation]]<ref>{{Cite journal

| last1 = Ribéreau-Gayon | first1 = P.
In many societies, beer is the most popular alcoholic drink. Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, or other pub games; attending [[beer festival]]s; engaging in zythology (the study of beer);<ref>{{cite news |title=Don't worry, be hoppy: The Weekender's Guide to Beer |url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/weekender/community/don-t-worry-be-hoppy-the-weekender-s-guide-to/article_f7312865-b20b-59ef-8492-037060167bd8.html |access-date=17 August 2015 |work=Sioux City Journal |date=8 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=International Beer Day: 10 things you never knew about beer |url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/international-beer-day-10-things-you-never-knew-about-beer/story-fneuz92c-1227010274449 |access-date=17 August 2015 |work=The News |date=1 August 2014 |archive-date=28 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028013448/http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/international-beer-day-10-things-you-never-knew-about-beer/story-fneuz92c-1227010274449 |url-status=dead}}</ref> visiting a [[pub crawl|series of pubs]] in one evening; visiting breweries; beer-oriented tourism; or [[rating beer]].<ref>[[Leslie Dunkling]] & Michael Jackson, ''The Guinness Drinking Companion'', Lyons Press (2003), {{ISBN|1-58574-617-7}}</ref> [[Drinking game]]s, such as [[beer pong]], accompany the drinking of beer.<ref name="Shott 2005">{{cite web |last=Shott |first=Chris |title=The Pong Arm of the Law |work=The Washington City Paper |date=7 October 2005 |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/tell/2005/tell1007.html |access-date=27 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215656/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/tell/2005/tell1007.html |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> Even having a "[[shower beer]]" has developed a following.<ref name="dailydot1">Fleishman, Cooper (11 December 2013). [https://www.dailydot.com/irl/showerbeer-internet-history/ The Internet history of the showerbeer], ''[[The Daily Dot]]''</ref> A relatively new profession is that of the [[beer sommelier]], who informs restaurant patrons about beers and food pairings. Some breweries have developed beers to [[Foodpairing|pair with food]].<ref name='Murphy'>{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Murphy |title=Chipotle beer heats up Cinco de Mayo |date=4 May 2006 |url =http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/04/WIGA7IJFVB1.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date =17 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name='Beervana'>{{cite news |first=John |last=Foyston |title=Fred Eckhardt 's Beer-and-Cheese Tasting |date=18 July 2007 |publisher=Oregonian |url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2007/07/fred_ecckhardt_s_beerand_chees.html |work=The Beer Here blog |access-date=17 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124213528/http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2007/07/fred_ecckhardt_s_beerand_chees.html |archive-date=24 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Janet |last=Fletcher |title=Forget wine and cheese parties – the true soul mate for fromage isn't made from grape juice. |date=17 February 2005 |url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/17/WIGHKBA1OC1.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date =17 September 2007 }}</ref> Wine writer [[Malcolm Gluck]] disputed the need to pair beer with food, while beer writers [[Roger Protz]] and Melissa Cole contested that claim.<ref>Protz, Roger, ''The Guardian'': Word of Mouth (15 January 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/15/beer-wine-britain-drinking-habits Let's hear it for beer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033319/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/15/beer-wine-britain-drinking-habits |date=1 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>Cole, Melissa, ''The Guardian'': Word of Mouth (27 January 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/23/gluck-cole-beer-wine-drink The eye of the ale storm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101033211/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jan/23/gluck-cole-beer-wine-drink |date=1 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>''[[The Guardian]]'': Word of Mouth (6 February 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/feb/06/gluck-cole-beer-food-matching Beer-drinking sadsacks strike back] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305010931/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/feb/06/gluck-cole-beer-food-matching |date=5 March 2017 }}</ref>
| last2 = Sapis | first2 = J. C.

| title = On the presence in wine of tyrosol, tryptophol, phenylethyl alcohol and gamma-butyrolactone, secondary products of alcoholic fermentation
Beer is considered to be a [[social lubricant]],<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964204.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611094703/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964204.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Beer Boss |first=Michael |last=Sherer |journal=Cheers |date=1 June 2001 |access-date=14 November 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Dietler |first=Michael |title=Alcohol: Anthropological/Archaeological Perspectives |journal=Annual Review of Anthropology |volume=35 |pages=229–249 |year=2006|doi=10.1146/annurev.anthro.35.081705.123120 }}</ref> and is [[Beer consumption by country|consumed in countries]] all over the world. There are breweries in Middle Eastern countries such as [[Beer in Syria|Syria]], and in some [[Beer in Africa|African countries]]. Sales of beer are four times those of wine, which is the second most popular alcoholic drink.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beer Production Per Capita |work=European Beer Guide |url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#consumption |access-date=17 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028165040/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm |archive-date=28 October 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| journal = Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série D

| volume = 261
== See also ==
| issue = 8
| pages = 1915–1916
| year = 1965
| pmid = 4954284
| language = fr
}}</ref> (products also known as [[congener (alcohol)|congeners]]) by ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]''.


==See also==
{{Portal|Beer|Food}}
{{Portal|Beer|Food}}

<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* [[Beer and breweries by region]]
* [[Beer and breweries by region]]
* [[List of barley-based drinks]]
* [[List of barley-based drinks]]
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* [[List of drinks]]
* [[List of drinks]]
* [[List of countries by beer consumption per capita]]
* [[List of countries by beer consumption per capita]]
* [[List of national drinks]]
* [[List of food and drink awards]]
* [[List of food and drink awards]]
* [[List of national drinks]]
{{div col end}}
}}
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}


{{reflist|25em}}
===Bibliography===

{{refbegin}}
=== Bibliography ===
* Alexander, Jeffrey W. ''Brewed in Japan: The Evolution of the Japanese Beer Industry'' (University of British Columbia Press; 2013) 316 pages

* ''Ale, Beer and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300–1600 '', Judith M. Bennett. {{ISBN|0-19-512650-5}}
{{refbegin|colwidth=25em|small=yes}}
* {{cite book |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&q=tablets+of+ebla&pg=PA141 |first1=Michael |last1=Dumper |first2=Bruce E. |last2=Stanley |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5 }}.
* {{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Jeffrey W. |year=2013 |title=Brewed in Japan: The evolution of the Japanese beer industry |publisher=University of British Columbia Press |ref=none}}
* ''Beer: The Story of the Pint'', Martyn Cornell. {{ISBN|0-7553-1165-5}}
* {{cite book |title=Ale, Beer and Brewsters in England: Women's work in a changing world, 1300–1600 |first=Judith M. |last=Bennett |date=26 January 1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-512650-5 |ref=none}}
* ''The Book of Beer Knowledge: Essential Wisdom for the Discerning Drinker, a Useful Miscellany'', Jeff Evans. {{ISBN|1-85249-198-1}}
* {{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Dumper |first2=Bruce E. |last2=Stanley |year=2007 |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A historical encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&q=tablets+of+ebla&pg=PA141 |ref=none}}
* ''The World Encyclopedia of Beer'', Brian Glover. {{ISBN|0-7548-0933-1}}
* {{cite book |title=Beer: The story of the pint |first=Martyn |last=Cornell |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Headline |isbn=978-0-7553-1165-1 |ref=none}}
* ''Beer: An Illustrated History'', Brian Glover. {{ISBN|1-84038-597-9}}
* {{cite book |title=The Book of Beer Knowledge: Essential wisdom for the discerning drinker, a useful miscellany |first=Jeff |last=Evans |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=CAMRA Books |isbn=978-1-85249-198-7 |ref=none}}
* ''Beer and Britannia: An Inebriated History of Britain'', Peter Haydon. {{ISBN|0-7509-2748-8}}
* {{cite book |title=The World Encyclopedia of Beer |first=Brian |last=Glover |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Lorenz Books |isbn=978-0-7548-0933-3 |ref=none}}
* ''A History of Beer and Brewing'', I. Hornsey. {{ISBN|0-85404-630-5}}
* {{cite book |title=Beer: An Illustrated History |first=Brian |last=Glover |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Hermes House |isbn=978-1-84038-597-7 |ref=none}}
* ''The World Guide to Beer'', [[Michael Jackson (writer)|Michael Jackson]]. {{ISBN|1-85076-000-4}}
* {{cite book |title=The Beer Book |first=Tim |last=Hampson |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-1-4093-5347-8 |ref=none}}
* ''The New World Guide to Beer'', Michael Jackson. {{ISBN|0-89471-884-3}}
* {{cite book |title=Beer and Britannia: An inebriated history of Britain |first=Peter |last=Haydon |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Sutton |isbn=978-0-7509-2748-2 |ref=none}}
* ''[http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.5/kavanagh.html Archeological Parameters For the Origins of Beer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406154556/http://www.morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.5/kavanagh.html |date=6 April 2017 }}.'' Thomas W. Kavanagh.
* {{cite book |title=A History of Beer and Brewing |first=I. |last=Hornsey |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |isbn=978-0-85404-630-0 |ref=none}}
* ''Beer in America: The Early Years 1587–1840—Beer's Role in the Settling of America and the Birth of a Nation'', Gregg Smith. {{ISBN|0-937381-65-9}}
* {{cite book |title=The World Guide to Beer |first=Michael |last=Jackson |date=6 November 1977 |publisher=Apple Press |author-link=Michael Jackson (writer) |isbn=1-85076-000-4 |ref=none}}
* ''Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition'', Phil Marowski. {{ISBN|0-937381-84-5}}
* {{cite book |title=The New World Guide to Beer |first=Michael |last=Jackson |date=26 January 1988 |publisher=Courage Books |author-link=Michael Jackson (writer) |isbn=0-89471-884-3 |ref=none}}
* ''The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe'', Max Nelson. {{ISBN|0-415-31121-7}}.
* {{cite book |title=Michael Jackson's Beer Companion |first=Michael |last=Jackson |author-link=Michael Jackson (writer) |isbn=0-7624-0772-7 |date=2000|publisher=Running Press}} <!--in use-->
* ''The Brewmaster's Table'', Garrett Oliver. {{ISBN|0-06-000571-8}}
* {{cite web |first=Thomas W. |last=Kavanagh |title=Archeological parameters for the origins of beer |website=morebeer.com |department=brewing techniques |id=issue&nbsp;2.5 |url=http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.5/kavanagh.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406154556/http://www.morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.5/kavanagh.html |archive-date=6 April 2017 |ref=none}}
* ''The Complete Joy of Homebrewing'', Charlie Papazian {{ISBN|0-380-77287-6}}
* {{cite book |title=Beer in America: The early years 1587–1840 — beer's role in the settling of America and the birth of a nation |first=Gregg |last=Smith |date=26 January 1998 |publisher=Siris Books |isbn=0-937381-65-9 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |first=Roger |last=Protz |author-link=Roger Protz |title=The Complete Guide to World Beer |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-84442-865-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/completeguidetow0000prot }}
* {{cite book |title=Farmhouse Ales: Culture and craftsmanship in the Belgian tradition |first=Phil |last=Marowski |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Brewers Publications |isbn=978-0-937381-84-7 |ref=none}}
* ''Gone for a Burton: Memories from a Great British Heritage'', Bob Ricketts. {{ISBN|1-905203-69-1}}
* {{cite book |title=The Barbarian's Beverage: A history of beer in ancient Europe |first=Max |last=Nelson |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-31121-2 |ref=none}}
* ''Country House Brewing in England, 1500–1900'', Pamela Sambrook. {{ISBN|1-85285-127-9}}
* {{cite book |title=The Brewmaster's Table |first=Garrett |last=Oliver |date=3 May 2005 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=0-06-000571-8 |ref=none}}
* ''Big Book of Beer'', Adrian Tierney-Jones. {{ISBN|1-85249-212-0}}
* {{cite book |title=The Complete Joy of Homebrewing |first=Charlie |last=Papazian |date=August 1994 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=0-380-77287-6 |ref=none}}
* ''Bacchus and Civic Order: The Culture of Drink in Early Modern Germany'', Ann Tlusty. {{ISBN|0-8139-2045-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Vaughan|first=J. G.|author2=C. A. Geissler|title=The New Oxford Book of Food Plants|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|isbn=978-0-19-854825-6|url=https://archive.org/details/newoxfordbookoff00vaug_0}}
* {{cite book |first=Roger |last=Protz |author-link=Roger Protz |year=2004 |title=The Complete Guide to World Beer |publisher=Carlton |isbn=978-1-84442-865-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/completeguidetow0000prot |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Gone for a Burton: Memories from a great British heritage |first=Bob |last=Ricketts |date=January 2005 |publisher=Pen Press Publishers Limited |isbn=1-905203-69-1 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Country House Brewing in England, 1500–1900 |first=Pamela |last=Sambrook |date=2 August 2003 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=1-85285-127-9 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Big Book of Beer |first=Adrian |last=Tierney-Jones |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=CAMRA |isbn=978-1-85249-212-0 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die |first=drian |last=Tierney-Jones |date=23 March 2010 |publisher=National Geographic Books |isbn=978-0-7893-2025-4 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Bacchus and Civic Order: The culture of drink in early modern Germany |first=Ann |last=Tlusty |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=University of Virginia Press |isbn=978-0-8139-2045-0 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Beer and Breweries of the Czech Republic |first=Jan |last=Eliášek |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=Vydavatelství MCU |isbn=978-80-7339-328-1 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |title=Good Beer Guide Prague & the Czech Republic |first=Evan |last=Rail |date=26 January 2024 |publisher=CAMRA |isbn=978-1-85249-233-5 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last1=Vaughan |first1=J.G. |last2=Geissler |first2=C.A. |year=1997 |title=The New Oxford Book of Food Plants |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-854825-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/newoxfordbookoff00vaug_0 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==

{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin|colwidth=25em|small=yes}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=Encyclopaedia of Brewing |first1=Christopher (Original Author) |last1=Boulton |isbn=978-1-4051-6744-4 |pages=716 pages |date=August 2013 |location= Chichester, West Sussex |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=The Oxford Companion to Beer |date=October 2011 |editor1-first=Garrett |editor1-last=Oliver |editor-link1=Garrett Oliver |first1=Tom (Foreword) |last1=Colicchio |work=Oxford Companion To&nbsp;... |type=Hardcover |pages=960 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |edition=1 |isbn=978-0-19-536713-3}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=Encyclopaedia of Brewing |first =Christopher |last =Boulton |isbn=978-1-4051-6744-4 |date=August 2013 |location=Chichester, UK |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |ref=none}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=The Encyclopedia of Beer |date=October 1997 |editor1-first=Christine P. |editor1-last=Rhodes |editor2-first=Pamela B. |editor2-last=Lappies |type=Paperback |pages=509 |publisher=[[Henry Holt & Co]] |location=New York, NY |edition=Reprint |isbn=978-0-8050-5554-2}}
* {{cite book |first1=Tom |last1=Colicchio |date=October 2011 |title=The Oxford Companion to Beer |editor1-first=Garrett |editor1-last=Oliver |editor-link1=Garrett Oliver |series=Oxford Companion To&nbsp;... |edition=1st hardcover |pages=960 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-536713-3 |ref=none}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=The World Atlas of Beer: The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World |date=October 2012 |first1=Tim |last1=Webb |first2=Stephen |last2=Beaumont |type=Hardcover |location=New York, NY |pages=256 |publisher=Sterling Epicure |isbn=978-1-4027-8961-8}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor1-first=Christine P. |editor1-last=Rhodes |editor2-first=Pamela B. |editor2-last=Lappies |date=October 1997 |title=The Encyclopedia of Beer |edition=paperback reprint |pages=509 |publisher=[[Henry Holt & Co]] |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-8050-5554-2 |ref=none}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |first1=Tim |last1=Webb |first2=Stephen |last2=Beaumont |title=The World Atlas of Beer: The essential guide to the beers of the world |date=October 2012 |edition=hardcover |location=New York, NY |publisher=Sterling Epicure |isbn=978-1-4027-8961-8 |ref=none}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |first =David |last =Kenning |year=2010 |title=Beers of the World: Over 350&nbsp;classic beers, lagers, ales, and porters |edition=hardcover |location=Bath, UK |publisher=Parragon |isbn=978-1-4454-0878-1 |ref=none}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor1-first=Mark W. |editor1-last=Patterson |editor2-first=Nancy |editor2-last=Hoalst-Pullen |year=2023 |title=The Geography of Beer: Policies, perceptions, and place |edition=hardcover |location=Cham |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-031-39007-4 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


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* {{Wikisource portal-inline}}
* {{Wikisource portal-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Beer (beverage)|Beer}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline|Beer (beverage)|Beer}}


{{Beer Styles}}
{{Beer Styles}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Beer| ]]
[[Category:Beer|Beer]]
[[Category:Brewing]]
[[Category:Brewing]]
[[Category:Fermented drinks]]
[[Category:Alcoholic drinks]]
[[Category:Alcoholic drinks]]

Latest revision as of 11:31, 19 December 2024

Schlenkerla Rauchbier, a traditional smoked beer, being poured from a cask into a beer glass

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the grain to sugars, which dissolve in water to form wort. Fermentation of the wort by yeast produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, the most widely consumed, and the third most popular drink after water and tea. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.

Beer is distributed in bottles and cans, and is commonly available on draught in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Some of the earliest writings mention the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it, while "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, contains a recipe for it. Beer forms part of the culture of many nations and is associated with social traditions such as beer festivals, as well as activities like pub crawling, pub quizzes, and pub games.

Etymology

Old English: Beore 'beer'

In early forms of English and in the Scandinavian languages, the usual word for beer was the word whose Modern English form is ale.[1] The modern word beer comes into present-day English from Old English bēor, itself from Common Germanic, it is found throughout the West Germanic and North Germanic dialects (modern Dutch and German bier, Old Norse bjórr). The earlier etymology of the word is debated: the three main theories are that the word originates in Proto-Germanic *beuzą (putatively from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeusóm), meaning 'brewer's yeast, beer dregs'; that it is related to the word barley, or that it was somehow borrowed from Latin bibere 'to drink'.[2][1] Christine Fell, in Leeds Studies in English (1975), suggests that the Old English/Norse word bēor did not originally denote ale or beer, but a strong, sweet drink rather like mead or cider. Whatever the case, the meaning of bēor expanded to cover the meaning of ale. When hopped ale from Europe was imported into Britain in the late Middle Ages, it was described as 'beer' to differentiate it from the British unhopped ale, later acquiring a broader meaning.[1]

History

Prehistory

Ancient Egyptian painting, 18th dynasty, reign of Akhenaten, c. 1300 BC, showing Syrian mercenary drinking beer through a straw. Egyptian Museum of Berlin

Beer is one of the world's oldest prepared alcoholic drinks.[3] The earliest archaeological evidence of fermentation consists of 13,000 year-old residues of a beer with the consistency of gruel, used by the semi-nomadic Natufians for ritual feasting, at the Raqefet Cave in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa in northern Israel.[4][5] There is evidence that beer was produced at Göbekli Tepe during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (around 8500 BC to 5500 BC).[6] The earliest clear chemical evidence of beer produced from barley dates to about 3500–3100 BC, from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran.[7][8]

Early civilisations

Beer is recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt,[9][10] and archaeologists speculate that beer was instrumental in the formation of civilizations.[11] Approximately 5000 years ago, workers in the city of Uruk (modern day Iraq) were paid by their employers with volumes of beer.[12] During the building of the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, each worker got a daily ration of four to five litres of beer, which served as both nutrition and refreshment and was crucial to the pyramids' construction.[13]

Some of the earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer; examples include a prayer to the goddess Ninkasi, known as "The Hymn to Ninkasi",[14] which served as both a prayer and a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people, and the ancient advice ("Fill your belly. Day and night make merry") to Gilgamesh, recorded in the Epic of Gilgamesh by the alewife Siduri, may, at least in part, have referred to the consumption of beer.[15] The Ebla tablets, discovered in 1974 in Ebla, Syria, show that beer was produced in the city in 2500 BC.[16] A fermented drink using rice and fruit was made in China around 7000 BC. Unlike sake, mould was not used to saccharify the rice (amylolytic fermentation); the rice was probably prepared for fermentation by chewing or malting.[17][18] During the Vedic period in Ancient India, there are records of the consumption of the beer-like sura.[19][20] Xenophon noted that during his travels, beer was being produced in Armenia.[21]

Medieval

François Jaques: Peasants enjoying beer at pub in Fribourg (Switzerland, 1923)

Beer was spread through Europe by Germanic and Celtic tribes as far back as 3000 BC, and it was mainly brewed on a domestic scale.[22][23] The product that the early Europeans drank might not be recognised as beer by most people today. Alongside the basic starch source, the early European beers may have contained fruits, honey, numerous types of plants, spices, and other substances such as narcotic herbs.[22] This mixture was called gruit, where if some were improperly heated could cause hallucinations. The mixture of gruit was different from every brewer. What they did not contain was hops, as that was a later addition, first mentioned in Europe around 822 by a Carolingian Abbot[24] and again in 1067 by abbess Hildegard of Bingen.[22]

In 1516, William IV, Duke of Bavaria adopted the Reinheitsgebot (purity law), perhaps the oldest food-quality regulation still in use in the 21st century, according to which the only allowed ingredients of beer are water, hops, and barley-malt.[25] Beer produced before the Industrial Revolution was made and sold on a domestic scale, although by the 7th century AD, beer was also being produced and sold by European monasteries. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from artisanal to industrial manufacture, while domestic production ceased to be significant by the end of the 19th century.[26]

Modern

In 1912, brown bottles began to be used by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. This innovation has since been accepted worldwide as it prevents light rays from degrading the quality and stability of beer.[27] The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers, ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries.[28] As of 2006, more than 133 billion litres (35 billion US gallons) of beer are sold per year, producing global revenues of US$294.5 billion. In 2010, China's beer consumption hit 450 billion litres (120 billion US gallons), or nearly twice that of the United States, but only 5 per cent sold were premium beers, compared with 50 per cent in France and Germany.[29] Beer is the most widely consumed of all alcoholic drinks.[30] A widely publicised study in 2018 suggested that sudden decreases in barley production due to extreme drought and heat could in the future cause substantial volatility in the availability and price of beer.[31]

Brewing

Process

A 16th-century brewery

The process of making beer is brewing. It converts the grain into a sugary liquid called wort and then ferments this into beer using yeast. The first step, mixing malted barley with hot water in a mash tun, is "mashing".[32] The starches are converted to sugars, and the sweet wort is drained off. The grains are washed to extract as much fermentable liquid from the grains as possible.[33] The sweet wort is put into a kettle, or "copper",[34] and boiled. Hops are added as a source of bitterness, flavour, and aroma. The longer the hops are boiled, the more bitterness they contribute, but the less hop flavour and aroma remain.[35] The wort is cooled and the yeast is added. The wort is then fermented, often for a week or longer. The yeast settles, leaving the beer clear.[36] During fermentation, most of the carbon dioxide is allowed to escape through a trap. The carbonation is often increased either by transferring the beer to a pressure vessel and introducing pressurised carbon dioxide or by transferring it before the fermentation is finished so that carbon dioxide pressure builds up inside the container.[37]

Ingredients

Malted barley before roasting

The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, usually malted barley; a brewer's yeast to produce the fermentation; and a flavouring such as hops.[38] A mixture of starch sources may be used, with a secondary carbohydrate source, such as maize (corn), rice, wheat, or sugar, often termed an adjunct, especially when used alongside malted barley.[39] Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum, and cassava root in Africa; potato in Brazil; and agave in Mexico.[40]

Water is the main ingredient, accounting for 93% of beer's weight.[41] The level of dissolved bicarbonate influences beer's finished taste.[42] Due to the mineral properties of each region's water, specific areas were originally the sole producers of certain types of beer, each identifiable by regional characteristics.[43] Dublin's hard water is well-suited to making stout, such as Guinness, while the Plzeň Region's soft water is ideal for brewing Pilsner, such as Pilsner Urquell.[43] The waters of Burton in England contain gypsum, which benefits making pale ale to such a degree that brewers of pale ale add gypsum in a process known as Burtonisation.[44]

The starch source provides the fermentable material and determines the strength and flavour of the beer. The most common starch source used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it to begin germination, and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln. Malting produces enzymes that convert starches into fermentable sugars.[45] Different roasting times and temperatures produce different colours of malt from the same grain. Darker malts produce darker beers.[46] Nearly all beers use barley malt for most of the starch, as its fibrous hull remains attached to the grain during threshing. After malting, barley is milled, which finally removes the hull, breaking it into large pieces. These pieces remain with the grain during the mash and act as a filter bed during lautering, when sweet wort is separated from insoluble grain material. Other grains, including wheat, rice, oats, and rye, and less frequently, corn and sorghum may be used. Some brewers have produced gluten-free beer, made with sorghum, for those who cannot consume gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye.[47]

Hop cone in a Hallertau, Germany, hop yard

Flavouring beer is the sole commercial use of hops.[48] The flower of the hop vine acts as a flavouring and preservative agent in nearly all beer made today. The flowers themselves are often called "hops". The first historical mention of the use of hops in beer dates from 822 AD in monastery rules written by Adalard of Corbie,[26][49] though widespread cultivation of hops for use in beer began in the thirteenth century.[26][49] Before then, beer was flavoured with other plants such as grains of paradise or alehoof. Combinations of aromatic herbs, berries, and even wormwood were combined into aflavouring mixture known as gruit.[50] Some beers today, such as Fraoch' by the Scottish Heather Ales company use plants other than hops for flavouring.[51] and Cervoise Lancelot by the French Brasserie-Lancelot company,[52]

Hops contribute a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt; the bitterness of beers is measured on the International Bitterness Units scale. Hops further contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavours. They have an antibiotic effect that favours the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms, and aids in "head retention",[53][54] the length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last. The acidity of hops is a preservative.[55][56]

Yeast is the microorganism responsible for fermenting beer. It metabolises the sugars, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide, and thereby turns wort into beer. In addition, yeast influences the character and flavour.[57] The dominant types of beer yeast are top-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae and bottom-fermenting Saccharomyces pastorianus.[58] Brettanomyces ferments lambics,[59] and Torulaspora delbrueckii ferments Bavarian weissbier.[60] Before the role of yeast in fermentation was understood, fermentation involved wild or airborne yeasts. A few styles, such as lambics, rely on this method today, but most modern fermentation adds pure yeast cultures.[61]

Some brewers add clarifying agents or finings to beer, which typically precipitate (collect as a solid) out along with protein solids, and are found only in trace amounts in the finished product. This process makes the beer appear bright and clean, rather than the cloudy appearance of ethnic and older styles such as wheat beers.[62] Clarifying agents include isinglass, from the swimbladders of fish; Irish moss, a seaweed; kappa carrageenan, from the seaweed Kappaphycus cottonii; Polyclar (artificial); and gelatin.[63] Beer marked "suitable for vegans" is clarified either with seaweed or with artificial agents.[64]

Industry

Industrial brewing

In the 21st century, larger breweries have repeatedly absorbed smaller breweries. In 2002, South African Breweries bought the North American Miller Brewing Company to found SABMiller, becoming the second-largest brewery after North American Anheuser-Busch. In 2004, the Belgian Interbrew was the third-largest brewery by volume, and the Brazilian AmBev was the fifth-largest. They merged into InBev, becoming the largest brewery. In 2007, SABMiller surpassed InBev and Anheuser-Busch when it acquired Royal Grolsch, the brewer of Dutch brand Grolsch.[65] In 2008, when InBev (the second-largest) bought Anheuser-Busch (the third-largest), the new Anheuser-Busch InBev company became again the largest brewer in the world.[66] As of 2020, according to the market research firm Technavio, AB InBev was the largest brewing company in the world, with Heineken second, CR Snow third, Carlsberg fourth, and Molson Coors fifth.[67]

Annual beer consumption per capita by country

A microbrewery, or craft brewery, produces a limited amount of beer. The maximum amount of beer a brewery can produce and still be classed as a 'microbrewery' varies by region and by authority; in the US, it is 15,000 US beer barrels (1.8 megalitres; 390 thousand imperial gallons; 460 thousand US gallons) a year.[68] A brewpub is a type of microbrewery that incorporates a pub or other drinking establishment. The highest density of breweries in the world, most of them microbreweries, exists in Franconia, Germany, especially in the district of Upper Franconia, which has about 200 breweries.[69][70] The Benedictine Weihenstephan brewery in Bavaria, Germany, can trace its roots to the year 768, as a document from that year refers to a hop garden in the area paying a tithe to the monastery. It claims to be the oldest working brewery in the world.[71]

Varieties

Cask ale hand pumps with pump clips detailing the beers and their breweries

Top-fermented beers

Top-fermented beers are most commonly produced with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a top-fermenting yeast which clumps and rises to the surface,[72] typically between 15 and 25 °C (59 and 77 °F). At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of esters and other secondary flavour and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with slightly "fruity" compounds resembling apple, pear, pineapple, banana, plum, or prune, among others.[73] After the introduction of hops into England from Flanders in the 15th century, "ale" came to mean an unhopped fermented brew, while "beer" meant a brew with an infusion of hops.[74] The term 'real ale' was coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1973 for "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide". It is applied to both bottle conditioned and cask conditioned beers.[75]

As for the types of top-fermented beers, pale ale[76] predominantly uses pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles and includes India pale ale (IPA).[77] Mild ale has a predominantly malty palate. It is usually dark, with an abv of 3% to 3.6%.[78] Wheat beer is brewed with a large proportion of wheat although it often also contains a significant proportion of malted barley. Wheat beers are usually top-fermented.[79] Stout is a dark beer made using roasted barley, and typically brewed with slow fermenting yeast. There are a number of variations including dry stout (such as Guinness), sweet stout, and Imperial (or Russian) stout.[77] Stout was originally the strongest variety of porter, a dark brown beer popular with the street and river porters of eighteenth century London.[80][77][81][82]

Bottom-fermented beers

Kriek, a lambic beer brewed with cherries

Lager is cool-fermented beer. Pale lagers are the most commonly drunk beers in the world. Many are of the "pilsner" type. The name "lager" comes from the German "lagern" for "to store", as brewers in Bavaria stored beer in cool cellars during the warm summer months, allowing the beers to continue to ferment, and to clear any sediment.[83] Lager yeast is a cool bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus). Lager typically undergoes primary fermentation at 7–12 °C (45–54 °F), and then a long secondary fermentation at 0–4 °C (32–39 °F) (the lagering phase). During the secondary stage, the lager clears and mellows. The cooler conditions inhibit the natural production of esters and other byproducts, resulting in a "cleaner"-tasting beer.[84] With improved modern yeast strains, most lager breweries use only short periods of cold storage, typically no more than 2 weeks. Some traditional lagers are still stored for several months.[85]

Lambic

Lambic, a beer of Belgium, is naturally fermented using wild yeasts, rather than cultivated. Many of these are not strains of brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and may have significant differences in aroma and sourness. Yeast varieties such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus are common in lambics. In addition, other organisms such as Lactobacillus bacteria produce acids which contribute to the sourness.[86]

Non-barley beers

Around the world, many traditional and ancient starch-based drinks are classed as beer. In Africa, there are ethnic beers made from sorghum or millet, such as Oshikundu[87] in Namibia and Tella in Ethiopia.[88] Kyrgyzstan also has a beer made from millet; it is a low alcohol, somewhat porridge-like drink called "Bozo".[89] Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and Sikkim also use millet in Chhaang, a popular semi-fermented rice/millet drink in the eastern Himalayas.[90]

The Andes in South America has Chicha, made from germinated maize (corn); while the indigenous peoples in Brazil have Cauim, a traditional drink made since pre-Columbian times by chewing manioc so that an enzyme (amylase) present in human saliva can break down the starch into fermentable sugars;[91] this is similar to Masato in Peru.[92]

Beers made from bread, among the earliest forms of the drink, are Sahti in Finland, Kvass in Russia and Ukraine, and Bouza in Sudan. 4000 years ago fermented bread was used in Mesopotamia. Food waste activists got inspired by these ancient recipes and use leftover bread to replace a third of the malted barley that would otherwise be used for brewing their craft ale.[93]

Measurement

Beer is measured and assessed by colour, by strength and by bitterness. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6%, measured as alcohol by volume (ABV).[94] The perceived bitterness is measured by the International Bitterness Units scale (IBU), defined in co-operation between the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the European Brewery Convention.[95] The international scale was a development of the European Bitterness Units scale, often abbreviated as EBU, and the bitterness values should be identical.[96]

Colour

Paulaner dunkel – a dark lager

Beer colour is determined by the malt.[97] The most common colour is a pale amber produced from using pale malts. Pale lager and pale ale are terms used for beers made from malt dried and roasted with the fuel coke. Coke was first used for roasting malt in 1642, but it was not until around 1703 that the term pale ale was used.[98][99]

In terms of sales volume, most of today's beer is based on the pale lager brewed in 1842 in the city of Plzeň in the present-day Czech Republic.[100] The modern pale lager is light in colour due to use of coke for kilning, which gives off heat with little smoke.[101]

Dark beers are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as stout, use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley.[102][103]

Strength

Beer ranges from less than 3% alcohol by volume (abv) to around 14% abv, though this strength can be increased to around 20% by re-pitching with champagne yeast,[104] and to 55% ABVby the freeze-distilling process.[105] The alcohol content of beer varies by local practice or beer style.[106] The pale lagers that most consumers are familiar with fall in the range of 4–6%, with a typical ABVof 5%.[107] The customary strength of British ales is quite low, with many session beers being around 4% abv.[108] In Belgium, some beers, such as table beer are of such low alcohol content (1%–4%) that they are served instead of soft drinks in some schools.[109] The weakest beers are described as 'alcohol-free', typically containing 0.05% ABV; this compares to low alcohol beers which may contain 1.2% ABV or less, and conventional beers which average 4.4% ABV.[110]

The strength of beers has climbed during the later years of the 20th century. Vetter 33, a 10.5% ABV (33 degrees Plato, hence Vetter "33") doppelbock, was listed in the 1994 Guinness Book of World Records as the strongest beer at that time,[111][112] though Samichlaus, by the Swiss brewer Hürlimann, had also been listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the strongest at 14% |BV.[113][114][115] Since then, some brewers have used champagne yeasts to increase the alcohol content of their beers. Samuel Adams reached 20% ABVwith Millennium,[104] and then surpassed that amount to 25.6% ABV with Utopias. The strongest beer brewed in Britain was Baz's Super Brew by Parish Brewery, a 23% ABVbeer.[116][117] In September 2011, the Scottish brewery BrewDog produced Ghost Deer, which, at 28%, they claim to be the world's strongest beer produced by fermentation alone.[118]

The product claimed to be the strongest beer made is Schorschbräu's 2011 Schorschbock 57 with 57,5% ABV.[119][120] It was preceded by The End of History, a 55% Belgian ale,[105] made by BrewDog in 2010. The same company had previously made Sink The Bismarck!, a 41% ABV IPA,[121] and Tactical Nuclear Penguin, a 32% ABV Imperial stout. Each of these beers are made using the eisbock method of fractional freezing, in which a strong ale is partially frozen and the ice is repeatedly removed, until the desired strength is reached,[122][123] a process that may class the product as spirits rather than beer.[124] The German brewery Schorschbräu's Schorschbock, a 31% ABV eisbock,[125][126][127] and Hair of the Dog's Dave, a 29% abv barley wine made in 1994, used the same fractional freezing method.[128] A 60% ABV blend of beer with whiskey was jokingly claimed as the strongest beer by a Dutch brewery in July 2010.[129][130]

Serving

Draught

A selection of cask beers

Draught (also spelled "draft") beer from a pressurised keg using a lever-style dispenser and a spout is the most common method of dispensing in bars around the world. A metal keg is pressurised with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas which drives the beer to the dispensing tap or faucet. Some beers may be served with a nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture. Nitrogen produces fine bubbles, resulting in a dense head and a creamy mouthfeel.[131] In the 1980s, Guinness introduced the beer widget, a nitrogen-pressurised ball inside a can which creates a moderately dense, tight head. This approximates the effect of serving from a keg, at least for a British-style beer which does not have a specially large head.[132]

Cask-conditioned ales (or cask ales) are unfiltered and unpasteurised beers. These beers are termed "real ale" by the CAMRA organisation. When a cask arrives in a pub, it is placed horizontally on a "stillage" frame, designed to hold it steady and at the right angle, and then allowed to cool to cellar temperature (typically between 11–13 °C or 52–55 °F),[133] before being tapped and vented—a tap is driven through a rubber bung at the bottom of one end, and a hard spile is used to open a hole in the uppermost side of the cask. The act of stillaging and then venting a beer in this manner typically disturbs all the sediment, so it must be left for a suitable period of hours to days to "drop" (clear) again, as well as to fully condition the beer. At this point the beer is ready to sell, either being pulled through a beer line with a hand pump, or simply being "gravity-fed" directly into the glass.[134]

Draught beer's environmental impact can be 68% lower than bottled beer due to packaging differences.[135][136] A life cycle study of one beer brand, including grain production, brewing, bottling, distribution and waste management, shows that the CO2 emissions from a 6-pack of micro-brew beer is about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).[137] The loss of natural habitat potential from the 6-pack of micro-brew beer is estimated to be 2.5 square metres (26 square feet).[138] Downstream emissions from distribution, retail, storage and disposal of waste can be over 45% of a bottled micro-brew beer's CO2 emissions.[137] Where legal, the use of a refillable jug, reusable bottle or other reusable containers to transport draught beer from a store or a bar, rather than buying pre-bottled beer, can reduce the environmental impact of beer consumption.[139]

Packaging

A selection of Belgian, Danish, Dutch, German, and Irish beers

Most beers are cleared of yeast by filtering when packaged in bottles and cans.[140] However, bottle conditioned beers retain some yeast—either by being unfiltered, or by being filtered and then reseeded with fresh yeast.[141]

Many beers are sold in cans, though there is considerable variation in the proportion between different countries. In Sweden in 2001, 63.9% of beer was sold in cans.[142] People either drink from the can or pour the beer into a glass. A technology developed by Crown Holdings for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is the 'full aperture' can, so named because the entire lid is removed during the opening process, turning the can into a drinking cup.[143] Cans protect the beer from light (thereby preventing spoilage) and have a seal less prone to leaking over time than bottles. Cans were initially viewed as a technological breakthrough for maintaining the quality of a beer, then became commonly associated with less expensive, mass-produced beers, even though the quality of storage in cans is much like bottles.[144] Plastic (PET) bottles are used by some breweries.[145]

Temperature

The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's experience; warmer temperatures reveal the range of flavours in a beer but cooler temperatures are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer pale lager to be served chilled, a low- or medium-strength pale ale to be served cool, while a strong barley wine or imperial stout to be served at room temperature.[146]

Beer writer Michael Jackson proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled (7 °C or 45 °F) for "light" beers (pale lagers); chilled (8 °C or 46 °F) for Berliner Weisse and other wheat beers; lightly chilled (9 °C or 48 °F) for all dark lagers, altbier and German wheat beers; cellar temperature (13 °C or 55 °F) for regular British ale, stout and most Belgian specialities; and room temperature (15.5 °C or 60 °F) for strong dark ales (especially trappist beer) and barley wine.[147]

Drinking chilled beer began with the development of artificial refrigeration and by the 1870s, was spread in those countries that concentrated on brewing pale lager.[148] Chilling beer makes it more refreshing,[149] though below 15.5 °C (60 °F) the chilling starts to reduce taste awareness[150] and reduces it significantly below 10 °C (50 °F).[151] Beer served unchilled—either cool or at room temperature—reveal more of their flavours. Cask Marque, a non-profit UK beer organisation, has set a temperature standard range of 12°–14 °C (53°–57 °F) for cask ales to be served.[152]

Vessels

Beer is consumed out of a variety of vessels, such as a glass, a beer stein, a mug, a pewter tankard, a beer bottle or a can; or at music festivals and some bars and nightclubs, from a plastic cup. The shape of the glass from which beer is consumed can influence the perception of the beer and can define and accent the character of the style.[153] Breweries offer branded glassware intended only for their own beers as a marketing promotion, as this increases sales of their product.[154]

The pouring process has an influence on a beer's presentation. The rate of flow from the tap or other serving vessel, tilt of the glass, and position of the pour (in the centre or down the side) into the glass all influence the result, such as the size and longevity of the head, lacing (the pattern left by the head as it moves down the glass as the beer is drunk), and the release of carbonation.[155]

A beer tower or portable beer tap is sometimes used in bars and restaurants to allow a group of customers to serve themselves. The device consists of a tall container with a cooling mechanism and a beer tap at its base.[156]

Chemistry

Organic aromatic acids found naturally in beer, such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, absorb blue light and fluoresce in green under 450 nm laser light.[157]

Beer contains the phenolic acids 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid. Alkaline hydrolysis experiments show that most of the phenolic acids are present as bound forms and only a small portion can be detected as free compounds.[158] Hops, and beer made with it, contain 8-prenylnaringenin which is a potent phytoestrogen.[159] Hop also contains myrcene, humulene, xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, myrcenol, linalool, tannins, and resin. The alcohol 2M2B is a component of hops brewing.[160]

Barley, in the form of malt, brings the condensed tannins prodelphinidins B3, B9 and C2 into beer. Tryptophol, tyrosol, and phenylethanol are aromatic higher alcohols (congeners) produced by yeast during the brewing process.[161] as secondary products of alcoholic fermentation[162]

Nutrition

Beers vary in their nutritional content.[163] The ingredients used to make beer, including the yeast, provide a rich source of nutrients; therefore beer may contain nutrients including magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, chromium and B vitamins. Beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid bread",[164] though beer is not a meal in itself.[165]

Nutrition from different beers
(serving size: 12 oz./355 ml)
Beer Brand Carbohydrate
(g)
Alcohol
(%)
Energy
(kcal)
Budweiser Select 55 1.8 2.4 55
Coors Light 5 4.2 102
Guinness Draught 10 4.0 126
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 30.3 9.6 330

Health effects

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis found that moderate ethanol consumption brought no mortality benefit compared with lifetime abstention from ethanol consumption.[166] Some studies have concluded that drinking small quantities of alcohol (less than one drink in women and two in men, per day) is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and early death.[167] Some of these studies combined former ethanol drinkers and lifelong abstainers into a single group of nondrinkers, which hides the health benefits of lifelong abstention from ethanol. The long-term health effects of continuous, moderate or heavy alcohol consumption include the risk of developing alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease. Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol use disorder", is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in problems.[168] It was previously divided into two types: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.[169][170] In a medical context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions are present: a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, withdrawal occurs when stopping, and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use.[170] Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years[171] and alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.[167] No professional medical association recommends that people who are nondrinkers should start drinking alcoholic beverages.[167][172] In the United States, a total of 3.3 million deaths per year (5.9% of all deaths) are believed to be due to alcohol.[173]

Overeating and lack of muscle tone is the main cause of a beer belly, rather than beer consumption, though a 2004 study found a link between binge drinking and a beer belly.[174] Several diet books quote beer as having an undesirably high glycemic index of 110, the same as maltose; however, the maltose in beer undergoes metabolism by yeast during fermentation so that beer consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace amounts of sugars, including maltose.[175]

The multi-step process of beer production is effective at removing pesticide residues from grain. At each step (e.g. mashing or malting) pesticide levels are typically reduced by 50-90%, varying with the particular process and pesticide's chemical properties.[176]

A 2013 study found that the flavour of beer alone could provoke dopamine activity in the brain of the male participants, who wanted to drink more as a result. The 49 men in the study were subject to positron emission tomography scans, while a computer-controlled device sprayed minute amounts of beer, water and a sports drink onto their tongues. Compared with the taste of the sports drink, the taste of beer significantly increased the participants desire to drink. Test results indicated that the flavour of the beer triggered a dopamine release, even though alcohol content in the spray was insufficient for the purpose of becoming intoxicated.[177]

Society and culture

A tent at Munich's Oktoberfest in Germany. The event is known as the world's largest beer festival.

Some of the earliest writings mention the production and distribution of beer: the c. 1750 BC Babylonian Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it,[178] while "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a c. 1800 BC prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.[179][180]

In many societies, beer is the most popular alcoholic drink. Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, or other pub games; attending beer festivals; engaging in zythology (the study of beer);[181][182] visiting a series of pubs in one evening; visiting breweries; beer-oriented tourism; or rating beer.[183] Drinking games, such as beer pong, accompany the drinking of beer.[184] Even having a "shower beer" has developed a following.[185] A relatively new profession is that of the beer sommelier, who informs restaurant patrons about beers and food pairings. Some breweries have developed beers to pair with food.[186][187][188] Wine writer Malcolm Gluck disputed the need to pair beer with food, while beer writers Roger Protz and Melissa Cole contested that claim.[189][190][191]

Beer is considered to be a social lubricant,[192][193] and is consumed in countries all over the world. There are breweries in Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, and in some African countries. Sales of beer are four times those of wine, which is the second most popular alcoholic drink.[194]

See also

References

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Bibliography

Further reading

  • Boulton, Christopher (August 2013). Encyclopaedia of Brewing. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-4051-6744-4.
  • Colicchio, Tom (October 2011). Oliver, Garrett (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford Companion To ... (1st hardcover ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 960. ISBN 978-0-19-536713-3.
  • Rhodes, Christine P.; Lappies, Pamela B., eds. (October 1997). The Encyclopedia of Beer (paperback reprint ed.). New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-8050-5554-2.
  • Webb, Tim; Beaumont, Stephen (October 2012). The World Atlas of Beer: The essential guide to the beers of the world (hardcover ed.). New York, NY: Sterling Epicure. ISBN 978-1-4027-8961-8.
  • Kenning, David (2010). Beers of the World: Over 350 classic beers, lagers, ales, and porters (hardcover ed.). Bath, UK: Parragon. ISBN 978-1-4454-0878-1.
  • Patterson, Mark W.; Hoalst-Pullen, Nancy, eds. (2023). The Geography of Beer: Policies, perceptions, and place (hardcover ed.). Cham: Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-39007-4.
  • Media related to Beer at Wikimedia Commons
  • Wikisource logo Works on the topic Beer at Wikisource
  • Quotations related to Beer at Wikiquote
  • Beer travel guide from Wikivoyage