Beer Facts
It’s said that God created wine, but men made beer. Either way, beer, in all its marvelous varieties is a wonderful gift to enjoy with friends and family for a generally good time. Enjoy these refreshing facts about beer to inspire appreciation for the next cold one you drink!
1) Beer predates wine by about 8,000 years making it one of the oldest beverages in the world.
2) In 1983 there were just 49 breweries in the United States. Fast forward to 2017 and there were 8,863 and counting.
3) Overall, China consumes the most beer, though per capita the Czech Republic leads the world.
4) In the United States alone beer brewing generates over $100 billion in profit annually.
5) The Weihenstephan Brewery in Bavaria is the oldest brewery in the world dating back nearly 1,000 years to 1040AD.
6) In ancient Mesopotamia beer was believed to have supernatural powers and the gods had their own brewers.
7) In France, Germany, Portugal, South Korea and many other countries you can order beer at McDonald’s.
8) Believe it or not, but the typical Medieval European drank far more beer than his modern counterpart. This is partly due to beer being safer (antimicrobial ethanol) and cleaner to drink than water in Medieval times.
9) National Beer Day is celebrated every year in the United States on April 7th.
10) In ancient Egypt women carried out most of the beer brewing.
11) According to Guinness World Records the largest glass of beer (Stod Fold Gold) comes in at 550 gallons and took one hour to fill.
12) Beer contains antioxidants that can prevent heart disease. However, after three bottles the beneficial effects are reversed as the body breaks down excess ethanol which produces harmful oxidants.
13) Politics aside, Conservatives in America generally prefer domestic beer to imported.
14) To help fund the Civil War Abraham Lincoln taxed beer.
15) Beer is consumed more than any other alcoholic drink on the planet with more than 50 billion gallons consumed every year.
So, the next time you’re sipping on a cold one reflect on these facts to inspire admiration and gratitude. Cheers!
"Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven! Thus, let us drink beer!"
— Martin Luther