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The Beer Portal

Introduction

P: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. Beer is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer. 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.

Some of the earliest writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it, and "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.

Beer is distributed in bottles and cans and is also commonly available on draught, particularly 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).

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. (Full article...)

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Image 1
A pint of mild

Mild ale is a type of ale. Modern milds are mostly dark-coloured, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 3% to 3.6%, although there are lighter-hued as well as stronger milds, reaching 6% abv and higher. Mild originated in Britain in the 17th century or earlier, and originally meant a young ale, as opposed to a "stale" aged or old ale.

Mild experienced a sharp decline in popularity in the 1960s, and was in danger of completely disappearing, but the increase of microbreweries has led to a modest renaissance and an increasing number of milds (sometimes labelled "dark") being brewed. (Full article...)
Image 2
A pint of Kentucky Common beer at Steeplejack Brewing in Portland, Oregon.

Kentucky common beer is a once-popular style of ale from the area in and around Louisville, Kentucky from the 1850s until Prohibition. This style is rarely brewed commercially today. It was also locally known as dark cream common beer, cream beer or common beer. The beer was top-fermented and was krausened up to 10% making it quite highly carbonated. Like cream ale, it was consumed fresh, usually as draught beer. In 1913 it was estimated that 80% of the beer consumed in Louisville was of this type. Many local breweries made only this style of beer. (Full article...)
Image 3
The first hard soda was modeled after the beverage pictured here, root beer. According to Not Your Father's Root Beer, it is an ale that contains sarsaparilla, wintergreen, anise and vanilla.

Hard soda, also referred to as flavored beer, adult soda, fermented soda, mature soda and alcohol soda, is a type of alcoholic beverage and craft beer that is manufactured in the style of a soft drink. It has gained recent prominence in the United States after the success of the Not Your Father's Root Beer brand manufactured by Small Town Brewery. As of late May 2016, at least 39 hard soda brands exist in the United States. (Full article...)
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Kölsch served in the traditional 200-millilitre (6.8 US fl oz) Stange glass

Kölsch (German pronunciation: [kœlʃ]) is a style of beer originating in Cologne (Köln), Germany. It has an original gravity between 11 and 14 degrees Plato (specific gravity of 1.044 to 1.056). In appearance, it is bright and clear with a straw-yellow hue.

Since 1997, the term "Kölsch" has had a protected geographical indication (PGI) within the European Union, indicating a beer that is made within 50km (31mi) of the city of Cologne and brewed according to the Kölsch Konvention as defined by the members of the Cologne Brewery Association (Kölner Brauerei-Verband). Kölsch is one of the most strictly defined beer styles in Germany: according to the Konvention, it is a pale, highly attenuated, hoppy, bright (i.e. filtered and not cloudy) top-fermenting beer, and must be brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot. (Full article...)
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A yard of ale

A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall beer glass used for drinking around 2+1⁄2 imperial pints (1.4 L) of beer, depending upon the diameter.

The glass is approximately 1 yard (91.4 cm) long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft, which constitutes most of the height. (Full article...)
Image 6
Blow my skull is an alcoholic punch drink that originated in mid-19th century Australia. As listed in The English and Australian Cookery Book by Edward Abbott, it calls for two pints of boiling water, sugar loaf, lime or lemon juice, one pint of ale or porter, one pint rum, and a half a pint of brandy. It has been described as a "notoriously potent alcoholic concoction".

Some alternatively call the drink blow my skull off, which may also refer to a historical version made instead by the mixing of rum, Cocculus indicus, "spirits of wine", cayenne pepper, Turkish opium and water. (Full article...)
Image 7

Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst] ; Bavarian: Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October, with more than six million international and national visitors attending the event. Locally, it is called d'Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.

During the event, large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed: in 2014, 7.7 million litres (2,000,000 US gal) were served. Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, such as amusement rides, side stalls, and games. There is also a wide variety of traditional foods available. (Full article...)
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Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, the archetype for modern saisons

Saison (French, "season," French pronunciation: [sɛzɔ̃]) is a pale-colored ale that is highly carbonated, dry, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high levels of alcohol. Along with several other varieties, it is generally classified as a farmhouse ale. (Full article...)
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In Italy, beer is considered an ideal accompaniment to pizza.

Italy is considered to be part of the wine belt of Europe. Nevertheless, beer, particularly mass-produced pale lagers, are common in the country. It is traditionally considered to be an ideal accompaniment to pizza; since the 1970s, beer has spread from pizzerias and has become much more popular for drinking in other situations.

In the seventh century BC in Sicily, the Phoenicians traded and consumed beer. In Piedmont, Pombia, Province of Novara, an archaeological investigation found tombs from the Golasecca culture, including a tomb from 560 BC containing traces of beer. Ancient Rome knew of beer and produced small amounts, but the systems of production were destroyed in various barbarian invasions. The first medical school, the Schola Medica Salernitana, praised the substance stating that it "supports old age, flows through the veins, increases well-being, and strengthens the blood". (Full article...)
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Hardcore IPA from BrewDog

India pale ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale.

India pale ale was originally an export beer shipped to India, which was under the control of the British East India Company until 1858. (Full article...)
Image 11

Beer cheese with saltine crackers

Beer cheese is a cheese spread most commonly found in Kentucky. Similarly named cheese products can be found in other regions of the United States, but beer cheese spread itself is not widely distributed. Despite this fact, the product is nearly ubiquitous in Kentucky. There are a number of different brands that are popular – most are similar in taste and texture. Fans of the snack usually have their favorite brand, and there are many homemade versions which use a wide variety of ingredients to add personalization.

Commercially produced beer cheese spread usually consists of a processed cheese base with a sharp cheddar flavor, while homemade varieties almost always start with sharp cheddar cheese. To this, enough beer is added to provide flavor and texture, as well as garlic, and a variety of spices including dry mustard, horseradish, jalapeño peppers, and cayenne pepper. Most varieties come in "mild" and "hot" versions, but all tend to have a strong garlic flavor. Beer cheese is traditionally served with saltine crackers, although it can be found served with various other crackers and crudités, most often as an appetizer. (Full article...)
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Beer brewed following a 13th-century recipe using gruit herbs

Gruit (alternately grut or gruyt) is a herb mixture used for bittering and flavouring beer, popular before the extensive use of hops. The terms gruit and grut ale may also refer to the beverage produced using gruit. Today, however, gruit is a colloquial term applied to a beer seasoned with gruit-like herbs. (Full article...)
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A Kranz (wreath) of fresh Kölsch beer that is typically carried by a server ("Köbes"), containing traditional Stange glasses and, in the center, larger modern glasses

Beer (German: Bier pronounced [biːɐ̯] ) is a major part of German culture, with only water, hops, and malt permitted as ingredients in its production. Beers not exclusively using barley-malt, such as wheat beer, must be top-fermented.

In 2020, Germany ranked third in Europe in terms of per-capita beer consumption, trailing behind the Czech Republic and Austria. (Full article...)
Image 14
Bergenhus microbrewery, Bergen, Norway

Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer, than larger "macro" breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.

The microbrewery movement began in both the United States and United Kingdom in the 1970s, although traditional artisanal brewing existed in Europe for centuries and subsequently spread to other countries. As the movement grew, and some breweries expanded their production and distribution, the more encompassing concept of craft brewing emerged. A brewpub is a pub that brews its own beer for sale on the premises. (Full article...)
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The Reinheitsgebot (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaɪnhaɪtsɡəboːt] , literally "purity order") is a series of regulations limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and the states of the former Holy Roman Empire. The best known version of the law was adopted in Bavaria in 1516 (by William IV), but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version. Although today the Reinheitsgebot is mentioned in various texts about the history of beer, historically it was only applied in the duchy, electorate, then Kingdom of Bavaria and from 1906 in Germany as a whole, and it had little or no effect in other countries or regions. (Full article...)

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Red Stripe is a 4.7% ABV pale lager brewed by Desnoes & Geddes in Jamaica and the Netherlands. It was first introduced in 1928 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Geddes and Bill Martindale. In 1993, Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo, acquired a controlling interest in Desnoes & Geddes, and took over international distribution in many markets. In 2015, Heineken acquired Diageo's stake and stated it would launch an offer for the shares it did not own. (Full article...)

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Søren Anton van der Aa Kühle (27 October 1849 - 12 April 1906) was a Danish brewer and chief business executive. He was chief operational officer of Gamle Carlsberg from 1881 and succeeded J.C. Jacobsen as managing director of the brewery in 1887. (Full article...)

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... that Abeer Odeh was the first woman to serve as Minister of National Economy in Palestine?
... that 100 beerhouses were licensed in Brighton (population 40,000) in the first week after the Beerhouse Act 1830 was enacted?
... that brewer Sophie de Ronde is allergic to most beer?
... that the debate in "Game On" invokes the beer question?
... that Ein Samiya, which provides the water for Taybeh, the first beer brewed in Palestine, was depopulated in 2023 after harassment by neighboring Israeli settlers?
... that Pope Pius IX gave the monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey permission to brew Saint Vincent Beer?

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General images

The following are images from various beer- and brewing-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Cask ales with gravity dispense at a beer festival (from Brewing)
Image 2A replica of ancient Egyptian beer, brewed from emmer wheat by the Courage brewery in 1996 (from History of beer)
Image 3A selection of French craft beers (from Craft beer)
Image 4Irish Craft Beer Festival, 2015 (from Craft beer)
Image 5A 16th-century brewery (from Brewing)
Image 6A funerary model of a bakery and brewery, from the Eleventh dynasty of Egypt, c. 2009–1998 BCE (from History of beer)
Image 7The Alulu beer receipt records a purchase of "best" beer from a brewer, c. 2050 BC from the Sumerian city of Umma in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). (from Brewing)
Image 8Great Leap Brewing operates a chain of brewpubs in China (from Craft beer)
Image 9Zoigl beers from the communal brewhouses of Oberpfalz in Germany (from Craft beer)
Image 10World beer consumption per capita (from History of beer)
Image 11A beer sommelier tapping a barrel for a taste at Nebraska Brewing Company (from Craft beer)
Image 12Robohop, a session IPA from Cervisiam in Oslo, Norway (from Craft beer)
Image 13Smoked beer from the Schlenkerla brewpub in Bamberg, Germany (from Craft beer)
Image 14Open vessels showing fermentation taking place (from Brewing)
Image 15Philistine pottery beer jug (from History of beer)
Image 16A mash tun at the Bass Museum in Burton-upon-Trent (from Brewing)
Image 17Põhjala Brewery, Estonia (from Craft beer)
Image 18Dogo Beer from Minakuchi-shuzō microbrewery in Matsuyama, Japan (from Craft beer)
Image 19Casks of real ale from British microbreweries at a beer festival (from Craft beer)
Image 20D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest operating brewing company in the US, established in 1829. It is also the largest craft brewer, and the 6th largest brewing company overall. (from Craft beer)
Image 21Steamworks Brewing, Vancouver (from Craft beer)
Image 22A growler of beer from Flounder Brewing, a nanobrewery in New Jersey, US (from Craft beer)
Image 23Yeast ring used by Swedish homebrewers in the 19th century to preserve the yeast between brewing sessions. (from History of beer)
Image 24The Caledonian Brewery, founded in 1869, Edinburgh, Scotland (from History of beer)
Image 25Mexican craft beer from Tequixquiac in Zumpango Region (from Craft beer)
Image 26Alulu beer receipt recording a purchase of "best" beer from a brewer, c. 2050 BCE, from the Sumerian city of Umma in ancient Iraq. (from History of beer)
Image 27A 16th-century brewery (from History of beer)
Image 28Microbreweries, regional breweries, and brew pubs per capita (from Craft beer)
Image 29Spontaneous fermentation at Timmermans in Belgium (from Brewing)
Image 30A yard of ale at Jolly Brewery, Taiwan (from Craft beer)
Image 31Modern closed fermentation vessels (from Brewing)
Image 32Rock mortars in Raqefet Cave, used to make beer during the Stone Age. (from History of beer)
Image 33Malted barley before kilning or roasting (from Brewing)
Image 34A can of Juicy Ass IPA from Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery in Barrie, Ontario, Canada (from Craft beer)
Image 35Bottling beer in a modern facility, 1945, Australia (from History of beer)
Image 36Pasteur Street Brewing, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (from Craft beer)
Image 37Craft brewing at Allagash in Portland, Maine (from Craft beer)
Image 38A hydrometer measures beer's specific gravity (from History of beer)
Image 39Spent grain, a brewing by-product (from Brewing)
Image 40Bill Urquhart at Litchborough Brewery (from Craft beer)
Image 41Bergenhus microbrewery, Bergen, Norway (from Craft beer)
Image 42Hop cone grown in a hop field, Hallertau, Germany (from Brewing)
Image 43Traditional fermenting building (center) and modern fermenting building (left) in Pilsner Urquell Brewery (Czech Republic) (from History of beer)
Image 44Diatomaceous earth, used to create a filtration bed (from Brewing)
Image 45Castaña, a smoked beer with chestnuts from Cerex in Extremadura, Spain (from Craft beer)
Image 46Gambrinus – king of beer (from History of beer)
Image 47Lauter tun (from Brewing)
Image 48Conditioning tanks at Anchor Brewing Company (from Brewing)
Image 49Brew kettles at Brasserie La Choulette in France (from Brewing)