From Barley to Brew: The Epic Tale of Beer Through The Ages
- Wayne F Burt Jr
- Feb 14
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 26
BLOG 16 - By Wayne Burt
A Toast to History: The Fascinating Journey of Beer 🍻
This post is dedicated to my 'Bro, Fred, because every great story of his, starts with a beer in hand.
Beer is older than bread. Let that sink in for a second. Before humans figured out how to bake a decent loaf, they were already brewing up this magical golden drink. Whether by accident or sheer genius, someone thousands of years ago discovered that wet grains left out too long could ferment into something... well, way more fun than water.
And here we are, thousands of years later, still raising our glasses. From ancient Sumerians worshipping a goddess of beer to Egyptian pharaohs being buried with kegs for the afterlife, beer has shaped human history in ways most of us never think about when cracking open a cold one.
So, grab a pint, take a sip, and let’s dive into the incredible, hilarious, and downright unbelievable history of beer. Trust me—this is a story worth toasting to.
The following outline will cover the history of mankinds favorite beverage. You can click on the title to go directly to that information.
The First Sip: Beer's Ancient Beginnings (10,000 BCE - 4,000 BCE)
Imagine this: Thousands of years ago, before cities, before writing, before anyone even thought of putting pineapple on pizza, a group of early humans were storing grains for food. Then, by pure accident, some of these grains got wet, started fermenting, and turned into a frothy, boozy liquid. Someone—maybe a brave (or really thirsty) soul—took a sip, felt a little buzz, and thought, "Hey, this is pretty good!" And just like that, beer was born.
Beer: The Accidental Discovery That Changed Everything
Historians believe beer-making may have started as early as 10,000 BCE, right around the same time humans figured out farming. Some even argue that our ancestors started growing grains not for bread, but for beer. If that’s true, beer isn’t just a sidekick to civilization—it’s one of the reasons civilization even exists!
The earliest chemical evidence of brewing comes from 7000 BCE in China, where pottery was found containing traces of a mead-like drink made from rice, honey, and fruit. But the first true barley beer? That popped up in Sumer (modern-day Iraq) around 4000 BCE.
Sumerians: The First Brewmasters
The Sumerians were the OG beer lovers. They didn’t just drink beer—they worshipped it. In fact, one of their goddesses, Ninkasi, was the official goddess of brewing. They even wrote a hymn to her, which doubled as the oldest known beer recipe (talk about a divine brew!).
Their beer wasn’t like today’s lagers and ales. It was thick, unfiltered, and full of grain bits, so they drank it through straws to avoid the chunks. Despite that, beer was so valuable that it became a form of currency—workers were often paid in beer instead of money. Now, imagine getting your paycheck in pints instead of cash. Not a bad deal, right?
Pints & Pharaohs: Beer in Ancient Civilizations (4,000 BCE - 500 CE)
If the Sumerians were the first to brew beer, the Egyptians took it to the next level. They loved their beer so much that they made it a staple of daily life—for everyone from peasants to pharaohs. They even had a beer goddess, Tenenit, and archaeologists have found jars of beer in tombs, meant to accompany the dead into the afterlife. Because, let’s be honest, who wants to spend eternity without a good brew?
Beer as Payment? Sign Me Up!
If you think your job has perks, imagine being an ancient Egyptian pyramid builder. Instead of money, workers were paid in beer—up to 10 pints a day! That’s right, beer was considered so essential that it was basically the ancient world’s minimum wage. And it wasn’t just for adults; even children drank beer (though it was weaker and more nutritious than the brews we enjoy today).
Egyptians were also master brewers, constantly tweaking their recipes. They had over 17 different types of beer, including one called Heqet, which was flavoured with honey. Some of these beers were thick, almost porridge-like, and were sipped through straws—just like in Sumeria.
The Greeks & Romans: Beer is for Barbarians!
While Egyptians were chugging their brews, the Greeks and Romans turned up their noses at beer. To them, wine was the drink of civilization and sophistication, while beer was a barbarian’s beverage. Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder even wrote that beer was only fit for "uncultured northern tribes" (you know, the same tribes who later sacked Rome—maybe they were just mad about the beer slander?).
That said, Roman soldiers still drank beer, especially when they were stationed in the colder, wine-less parts of the empire, like Britain and Germany. They even spread brewing techniques across Northern Europe, where beer quickly became the drink of choice.
Monks & Medieval Brews: How Beer Saved the Middle Ages (500 CDE - 1500 CE)
If you think beer is essential today, imagine living in medieval Europe. Water back then was often unsafe to drink, so people of all ages—including children—drank beer daily. But this wasn’t the kind of beer you’d find at your local pub. It was a weaker, nutrient-rich "liquid bread" that provided much-needed calories and was considered safer than water.
And who perfected the brewing process? Monks.
The Beer-Brewing Monks 🍺✝️
During the Middle Ages, monasteries became the ultimate brewing hubs. Monks didn’t just pray and chant; they brewed some of the finest beers in Europe. Their goal? To sustain themselves during fasting periods—and what better way to do that than with beer? In some monasteries, monks were allowed to drink up to five litres of beer a day. That’s not a typo. Five litres. Per day. Suddenly, the monastic life doesn’t sound so bad.
Monasteries had strict brewing standards, which meant their beer was cleaner, safer, and tastier than most of what was available at the time. They experimented with ingredients, refining techniques that laid the foundation for modern brewing.
The Game-Changer: Hops! 🌿
Up until this point, beer was often flavoured with a mix of herbs and spices called gruit, which didn’t do much to preserve it. Then, around 1000 CE, German brewers started adding hops—a bitter, aromatic plant that gave beer a longer shelf life and a better taste.
Hopped beer quickly spread across Europe, though not everyone was on board at first. The English resisted hops, clinging to their traditional unhopped "ale" for centuries. In fact, there was a time when ale and beer were two different drinks—ale was unhopped, beer had hops. But by the late Middle Ages, hops won and became a staple ingredient in brewing.
The Beer Purity Law: Germany Sets the Rules
By the early 1500s, beer was booming, and Germany took quality control seriously. In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria introduced the Reinheitsgebot, also known as the Beer Purity Law. This law limited beer ingredients to just three things: water, barley, and hops (yeast wasn’t included because they didn’t know it existed yet).
The goal was to keep beer pure, protect consumers from shady brewers, and make sure wheat was reserved for bread. The Reinheitsgebot is one of the oldest food regulations in history, and some German breweries still follow it today.
Industrial Revolution: Beer Goes Big (1600 - 1900 CE)
By the 1600s, beer had already been around for thousands of years, but up until this point, it was mostly a local, small-batch operation—brewed in monasteries, homes, and small taverns. That was about to change. Thanks to scientific breakthroughs, industrialization, and a little thing called refrigeration, beer was about to take over the world.
From Monks to Mass Production 🏭
With the decline of monasteries and the rise of cities, beer brewing became a booming business. In places like Germany, England, and the Netherlands, beer production moved from monasteries to large-scale commercial breweries. By the 1700s, many European cities had dozens, if not hundreds, of breweries pumping out barrels of beer for thirsty citizens.
The British Empire helped spread beer across the world, introducing it to new territories. When British sailors set off for India, they needed a beer that could survive the long journey. The solution? A heavily hopped, high-alcohol beer that wouldn’t spoil: the India Pale Ale (IPA) was born.
Lager Takes Over 🍺❄️
For most of history, beer was top-fermented, meaning it was brewed at warmer temperatures—this resulted in ales, stouts, and porters. But in the mid-1800s, a brewing revolution started in Germany: lager beer.
German brewers discovered that fermenting beer at colder temperatures using bottom-fermenting yeast created a cleaner, crisper beer. And thanks to the invention of refrigeration in the 19th century, they could brew lagers year-round instead of just during the cold months.
This led to the rise of pale lagers, like Pilsner, which quickly became the most popular beer style in the world—a title it still holds today.
Beer Science: Pasteur Cracks the Code 🧪
For centuries, brewers didn’t fully understand how fermentation worked. They knew that leaving grain-water mixtures out for a while resulted in beer, but the process itself was a mystery. Then came Louis Pasteur—yes, the same guy who helped revolutionize milk safety.
In 1876, Pasteur discovered that yeast was responsible for fermentation. He also developed pasteurization, a process that kills harmful bacteria and keeps beer fresher for longer. This was a game-changer, allowing beer to be shipped further and stored longer.
The Rise of Big Breweries
With refrigeration, pasteurization, and mass production, beer became a big business. By the late 1800s, the brewing industry was dominated by large breweries, many of which are still around today. Before these giants took over, Yuengling, founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pa., had already established itself as America’s first and longest-running brewery. Surviving Prohibition and adapting to industry changes, Yuengling set the stage for the brewing expansion that followed. This era saw the rise of brands like:
Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser)
Heineken
Pabst
Miller
Coors
These breweries perfected large-scale beer production, creating global brands that would dominate the market well into the 20th century.
Prohibition, Big Beer, & the Craft Revolution (1900 - Today)
Beer had survived wars, plagues, and empires collapsing. But nothing prepared it for one of the darkest chapters in its history—Prohibition.
Prohibition: The Party Stops (1920 – 1933) 🚫🍺
In the early 1900s, the temperance movement in the U.S. was gaining momentum. Activists claimed alcohol was the root of society’s problems (clearly, they had never enjoyed a cold pint on a hot day). Their relentless campaigning led to Prohibition in 1920, making it illegal to produce, sell, or transport alcohol in the U.S.
For beer lovers, this was a nightmare. Overnight, thousands of breweries shut down. Some pivoted to making "near beer" (a weak, non-alcoholic version of beer), while others switched to selling ice cream or soft drinks just to survive.
But as you might expect, people didn’t stop drinking. Enter bootlegging, speakeasies, and illegal homebrewing. Some breweries secretly supplied mob-run operations, while others technically followed the law by selling beer concentrate with a suspicious disclaimer: "Do not add water and let sit for a few weeks, or it may turn into beer."
By 1933, Prohibition was deemed a failure (shocking, right?), and beer made its grand comeback. However, the damage had been done—many small breweries never recovered, and the beer industry had changed forever.
The Age of Big Beer (1940s – 1980s) 🍺🏭
Post-Prohibition, only a handful of massive breweries remained, and they quickly took over the market. Brands like Budweiser, Miller, and Coors streamlined production and created light, easy-drinking lagers that appealed to the masses.
By the 1970s, beer in the U.S. and much of the world had become... well, kind of boring. It was dominated by pale lagers, and regional styles were disappearing. If you wanted variety, you were out of luck—your choices were basically "light beer" or "even lighter beer."
But then, something amazing happened.
The Craft Beer Revolution (1980s – Today) 🍻🎉
In the 1980s, a group of rebellious homebrewers and small-scale beer enthusiasts started pushing back against mass-produced beer. Inspired by traditional brewing styles from Belgium, England, and Germany, they began creating bold, flavourful, small-batch beers—and people loved it.
Craft breweries started popping up everywhere, reviving forgotten styles like:✔️ IPAs (India Pale Ales) – Hop-forward and packed with flavour.✔️ Stouts & Porters – Dark, rich, and full of roasted goodness.✔️ Sours & Wild Ales – Funky, tart, and complex.✔️ Belgian Ales – Spicy, fruity, and deliciously complex.
Fast forward to today, and craft beer is a global phenomenon. There are now over 10,000 breweries in the U.S. alone, with countless more worldwide. The variety is endless—whether you want a double dry-hopped hazy IPA or a barrel-aged imperial stout, there’s a beer for everyone.
Even big beer brands have taken notice, buying up smaller craft breweries or launching their own "craft-style" beers. But true beer lovers know—nothing beats a fresh pint from a local brewery.
Final Cheers: Beer, the Drink That Built Civilization 🍺✨
Beer has been with us for over 10,000 years, shaping civilizations, fueling revolutions, and keeping people refreshed along the way. From ancient Sumerians drinking through straws to medieval monks perfecting their brews, from the rise of mass production to the craft beer explosion, beer has stood the test of time.
So, the next time you raise a pint, remember—you’re drinking history. And if you ever find yourself debating whether beer is just a simple drink or one of the most important inventions of all time, well… I think we both know the answer.
Cheers to beer. Cheers to history. And most importantly—cheers to Fred. 🍻
Wow, what a great history of my favorite drink!