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Beer, at its most basic, is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from water and cereal grains. There are numerous variations on this core theme, and countless permutations of each variation, but the common factor in every beer ever made is this pair of simple, natural ingredients. The fact that the mineral make-up of water, beer's principal constituent, varies from place to place means that there is significant regional variation between beers, even if made to precisely the same recipe. Beer has this in common with its distilled counterpart, whisky.
It is estimated that beer is the third most widely consumed drink in the world, after only water and tea. It is certainly the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage, which is perhaps not that surprising when one considers how much simpler beer is to make than wine or distilled beverages. Grape vines are not only harder to manage than cereal crops, they also require several years to mature to fruit-bearing age. Further, grapes require picking and crushing before they are ready for fermentation, and they spoil relatively easily. Cereal crops, on the other hand, are simpler to harvest and can be stored ready for use as required.
Believed to be the world’s oldest form of potable alcohol, beer dates back to at least 8000 BC. It was around this time that man began gradually replacing his nomadic wanderings with a more sedentary lifestyle, one governed by the seasonal rhythms of livestock and cereal crops. Staying in one place provided not only a reliable, harvestable supply of grain, but also the time and stability to discover and then develop the art of fermentation. Some of the oldest written texts in existence discuss the intricacies of brewing and beer storage. In essence, then, beer production is a human endeavor almost as ancient as agriculture and writing.
The third ingredient in beer, although not recognized as such until the 17th century, is yeast. These microscopic single-cell organisms are as vital to the fermentation process as they are invisible to the naked eye. Before man learned to control and cultivate yeast, beers were left to begin their fermentation naturally, with ambient yeasts, rather than the commercial, packaged yeasts we use today. Mankind has been making beer for thousands of years before he gained even the most basic understanding of yeast and the indispensable role it plays in brewing. It is only in the past few centuries that we have been able to control and cultivate yeast - an advance which has helped not just brewers, but also winemakers and bakers.
If a fourth ingredient were ever to be added as a mandatory component in beer, it would be the flowers of the hop vine (humulus lupulus), commonly known as 'hops'. This herbaceous vine (a close relative of cannabis sativa) has been cultivated for many centuries, almost exclusively for beer production. Hops performs two key functions in beer production: flavoring and preserving. The hop flower contains natural alpha acids with stabilizing and mild antibiotic properties, and also beta acids which are responsible for the trademark 'hoppy' bitterness. Hops variety and content is a key differentiating factor between beer styles.
Beer can be broadly broken down into two basic categories: ales and lagers. The key difference between these two is that ales use top-fermenting yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), while lagers use bottom-fermenting yeasts (Saccharomyces pastorianus). Top-fermenting yeasts operate at a temperature of roughly 70F (21 C) and form a foam on top of the fermenting liquid, while bottom-fermenting yeasts ferment at the much cooler temperature of around 50F (10C).
The majority of beer produced in the world today is lager. The name lager is ultimately derived from the German verb lagern ('to store'), and stems from the practice of lagering, the long-term storage of beer in cool locations such as deep cellars or caves. Lagers are typically lighter in color and flavor than ales, and are best served chilled.
Ales are fruitier and more aromatically pronounced than lagers, their precise aromas and flavors dictated by several variables including the quantity and variety of hops added, the type of cereal used and the quantity of malted cereals (malt) used in the recipe. Whether or not the malt or grains are roasted is also an important factor in determining the final flavor of a beer - stout beer gains its distinctive dark color and tangy flavor this way.
Beer's long history and broad distribution have allowed it to evolve in all manner of directions, with subtle and not-so-subtle variations on a wide range of base styles – to catalogue and describe every style of beer on earth would be a lifetime's work. Man's appetite for the ancient beverage shows no sign of abating, so the world's beer portfolio will only continue to grow in years to come.
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