These are the words spoken by the great statesman and inventor Ben Franklin - words that have been lost to some degree in a society where beer is associated with the keg party and its excessive cousin - the beer can pyramid. This is of course not the image beer deserves, a beverage that is more diverse than wine and lower priced than spirits.

The history of beer is the history of mankind. Beer can be traced to the Sumarians. No one knows how the first beer came about - maybe it was when bread had become wet and left to its own for a few weeks or months and an ancestor drank it. To which he felt euphoric and lively. There is absolutely no documentation, however, on the first hangover.

For many centuries brewing was considered womens work, up until after the first century when the Catholic monks took hold of the process. The early monks were not held be the same standards by which we know them today. Monks could be allowed to drink up to five liters of beer during fasting periods. They couldn't eat, but damn could they drink. For many, many centuries the Catholic church held the secrets to Western civilization - secrets of education, religion and brewing. The brewing we know today stems from knowledge passed down from the monks. However, as information was disseminated amongst the peasants, so was the brewing process. Eventually, breweries started popping up in the Bavarian region of Germany and the rest of Europe. As as Europe started to prosper, so did the lore of beer. Ok, enough for now, part two of the history of beer will be coming soon....and until then:
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'Drink better beer'

-- Oliver

P.S. - Please feel free to send me any comments or questions at beermeister@worldbeercompany.com