Beer was the first alcoholic beverage known to civilization, however, who drank the first beer is unknown. Historians theorize that humankind's fondness for beer and other alcoholic beverages was a factor in our evolution away from a society of nomadic hunters and gathers into an agrarian society that would settle down to grow crops (and apparently drink). The first product humans made from grain & water before learning to make bread was beer.Nearly every culture developed their own version of beer using different grains. Africans used millet, maize and cassava. The Chinese used wheat. The Japanese used rice. The Egyptians used barley. However, hops the main ingredient in moden beer beverages was not used in brewing until 1000 AD.
The modern era of brewing beer could not begin until the invention of commercial refrigeration, methods of automatic bottling, and pasteurization.
Beer Traditions - The Honeymoon
4,000 years ago in Babylon, it was an accepted practice that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead or beer he could drink. In ancient Babylon, the calendar was lunar-based - based on the cycle of the moon. The month following any wedding was called the "honey month" which evolved into "honeymoon". Mead is a honey beer and what better way to celebrate a honeymoon.
Beer in a Can
On January 24, 1935, the first canned beer, "Krueger Cream Ale," was sold by the Kruger Brewing Company of Richmond, VA.
Kathy, wow this is a interesting post. I did not know that the term honey moon evetually came from beer. To me, what you said is kind of like a bacherlors party because you try to get the groom drunk and in your post it says that the father would make the groom drink as much beer as possible. It is cool what was created in the past and still goes on today.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Kathy. I didn't know that bear was made before bread. But I definitely could see how that would become a factor in moving away from a nomadic lifestyle. Who wants to walk around all day drunk? LOL But no I thought the part about the Honeymoon was very informative. I always thought the term refereed to the new honey(spouse) in your life, but didn't know it was about beer. I think I may need to talk to my father-in-law.
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