Beer: The Drink Which Makes One's Heart Feel Light

Q: When was beer first brewed in Mesopotamia?

Beer was first brewed in Mesopotamia circa 4000 BCE.

Q: Who were the first brewers of beer in Mesopotamia?

Women were the first brewers of beer in Mesopotamia and continued to be so until men saw how profitable brewing and selling beer could be and took over.

Q: Was beer linked to religion in Mesopotamia?

Yes. Beer was thought to be the "drink of the gods" and its manufacture was overseen by the goddess Ninkasi.

Q: Where was "modern beer" first developed?

Modern beer was first developed in Germany as early as 800 BCE. The difference between this beer and "ancient beer" was the addition of hops.

Joshua J. Mark

Definition

Beer is one of the oldest intoxicating beverages consumed by human beings. Even a cursory survey of history makes clear that, after human beings have taken care of the essential needs of food, shelter, and rudimentary laws for the community, their next immediate concern is developing intoxicants. In ancient Mesopotamia, this was accomplished circa 4000 BCE.

More about: Beer

Timeline

c. 5000 BCE
Godin Tepe settled.
c. 3500 BCE - c. 3100 BCE
Beer brewed at Godin Tepe.
c. 2250 BCE
Beer brewed in Egypt.
c. 2150 BCE - c. 2000 BCE
Written form of the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, which mentions beer.
2050 BCE
The Alulu Beer Receipt Tablet written at the city of Ur.
c. 1800 BCE
Written form of the Hymn to Ninkasi, the goddess of beer.
c. 1800 BCE
The Sumerian Hymn to Ninkasi, goddess of beer, written down.
c. 1700 BCE
The Code of Hammurabi, with laws regulating beer, written at Babylon.
800 BCE
Beer brewed in Germany.
496 BCE - 406 BCE
Life of Greek playwright Sophocles, who suggests moderation in drinking beer.
56 CE - 117 CE
Life of the Roman writer Tacitus who mentions beer in his work.
179 CE
Beer brewed at the Roman outpost Casta Regina on the Danube.
331 CE - 363 CE
Life of the Roman Emperor Julian who wrote poem disparaging beer.
770 CE
King Charlemagne appoints brewers. Beer brewed in France.
24 Jul 1487 CE
The Leeuwarden Beer Riots break out in Leeuwarden, Netherlands when the city council bans the sale of imported foreign beers to protect local brewers. An estimated 8,000 people rose in revolt at being denied imported beer, forcing the council to repeal the ban.
23 Apr 1516 CE
The Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law) is enacted in the city of Ingolstadt, Bavaria, proclaimed by Bavarian Dukes Wilhelm IV and Ludwig X, mandating beer can only be brewed using barley, hops, and water.
13 Jul 1568 CE
According to beer folklore, Alexander Nowell, the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, accidentally "discovers" bottled beer when, on a fishing trip, he leaves a bottle of his home-brew near the River Ash in Hertfordshire, England, and returns days later to find it has undergone secondary fermentation and is carbonated instead of flat.
c. 1600 CE
The Finnish Saga of Kalevala written down from older sources. Describes creation of beer using hops.
31 Dec 1759 CE
Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease for the St. James Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland and begins selling Guinness stout, among the most popular beers in the world today and the highest-selling beer in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
7 Apr 1933 CE
The Cullen-Harrison Act goes into effect, repealing prohibition on the sale of beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% and wine of equal or lesser strength. The date is celebrated in the United States today as National Beer Day. Prohibition was fully repealed 5 December 1933 through the 21st Amendment.
24 Jan 1935 CE
The first canned beer is sold in Richmond, Virginia, by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company, partnered with the American Can Company, offering Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale. Earlier attempts at canned beer failed due to the pressure of the beer cracking the cans but American Can Company developed a special lining to address this problem and canned beer was born.