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Originally posted by: IndyBoilerman
Boiler has noticed that DonDiego participates in the "specialty beer" craze.
Hmm, . . . "speciality beer" is hardly a craze.
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. . . the oldest written documentation pertaining to beer making can be traced back at least six thousand years, to the ancient civilization of Sumeria. A hymn, entitled Hymn to Ninkasi”, which includes (translated):
"Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer of the collector vat
It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates."
The Ancient Babylonians, the descendants of the Sumerian people, were brewing at least 20 different varieties of beer by 2000 B.C. All citizens were entitled to a daily beer ration, calculated by the person’s social standing. Beer was such a vital part of these ancient economies that it was even used to barter, and a portion of worker’s wages were paid in beer, efficiently eliminating the need for a middle man.
The Egyptians carried on the beer brewing tradition, altering the taste with the addition of dates. The Greeks and Romans also made beer, but as wine grew in popularity the Romans began to consider beer the drink of Barbarians.
Beer is known to have been brewed by certain Germanic groups as early as 800 B.C., and the ancient historian Tacitus reported that:
"To drink, the Teutons have a horrible brew fermented from barley or wheat, a brew which has only a very far removed similarity to wine."
Much later, the Catholic Church also got involved in beer making, and the abbeys were instrumental in refining the methods used for brewing. In time, many religious communities owed their very existence to beer, as the profits from its sale kept many a monastery in the black. Charlemagne himself was thought to have even trained a few people in the brewing of beer and considered it to be an important staple item. Much like their forebears, Christians at this point also felt that beer was a gift from God, which is an idea only very recently changed thanks to rampant alcoholism in the late 19th century particularly.
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Ref: A Brief History of Beer
So, . . . beer has been around for maybe 8000 years.
Eight THOUSAND years ! ! ! Hardly a craze !
And back then it was all craft beer, . . . n.b the reference to the Egyptians adding dates to the brew. Breweries of significant size didn't arrive until the Catholics made it a business. "Christians at this point also felt that beer was a gift from God"; thank goodness.
DonDiego may well continue the tradition of sampling varieties of beer from around America this Fall as he is likely to visit the Browns' First Energy Stadium and the Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium for NFL excitement.
