Beer has a rich and fascinating history that dates back thousands of years. From its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to its current status as one of the world’s most popular alcoholic beverages, beer has played an important role in human culture and society.

Here are some interesting historical facts about beer:

That the word beer comes from the latin word bibere.

Makes sense since bibere means to drink.

  • In the Czech Republic there is a beer company named Budweiser that was founded in 1895. They hold the trademark to the Budweiser name throughout Europe except in the UK and Spain where InBev owner of American Budweiser holds the trademarks. In Czech they sell their Budweiser Budvar as Budweiser and InBev sells their Budweiser as Bud.
  • American Budweiser beer is based on the Czech beer with the same name. Adolphus Busch while in Europe saw how popular the local beer was and decided to make an American Lager that resembled the Czech Budweiser.
  • Beermaking dates back to 5000 BC. There is evidence of beer make in Western Iran in 3500BC in Western Iran. Tests ran on pots from this time period have shown evidence of beer making.
  • The oldest brewery is the Weihenstephan Brewery. It was founded in 1040 in Freising, Germany was founded in 1040. In that year Abbot Arnold Obtained a license to brew and sell beer. The Weihenstephan Monastery Brewery was born.
  • Beer pong was invented in the 1950’s, or was it? There is a lot debate about this. Wikipedia articles says it was invented by a fraternity at Dartmouth in the 50s or 60s. Bucknell University claims they invented the game in the 70s. So basically beer pong was invented by every liberal arts college along the eastern seashore.
  • Beer was brewed in the White House for the first time by President Barack Obama. Even though George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Maddison were also homebrewers they never brewed in the White House. The president paid for the equipment himself and the first beer was a honey ale, reported to be very good.
  • In Ancient Egypt women were the brewers. They would brew beer as an offering to the gods. Beer was also considered a feminine drink because men traditionally drank wine.
  • Beer was once currency. At least for the builders of the Great Pyramids, they were paid in beer.
  • Heineken beer bottles doubled as bricks for houses and other buildings in the 1960’s. Heineken produced bottles meant to provide inexpensive building material and reduce waste.
  • In the early 2000’s the Belgians began serving beer in elementary schools. They wanted to offer a healthier option than traditional soda. The beer had a lower alcohol content of 1.5%-2.5% compared to the usual 5.5%.
  • Tutankhamun ale bottle and boxTutankhamun Ale is one of the most expensive beers in the world. It is crafted following a recipe that University of Cambridge archaeologists recovered in Queen Nefertiti’s Temple of the Sun in Egypt. The recipe is over 3,250 years old. Production is limited.
  • Allsopp’s Arctic Ales sold for over $503,300. It was brewed in 1875 for an Antarctic expedition and although it is not for consumption it is a considered a collector item.
  • The Cullen-Harrison Act that allowed the distribution and sale of beer was signed on April 7, 1933. A is now celebrated yearly as the National Beer Day.
  • The first International Beer day was held in 2007. It is celebrated on the first Friday of August. It is celebrated in 50 countries and 200 cities around the world.
  • The Pilgrims made a beer run. It is said that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they were out of beer.
  • The first Pilsner was brewed in 1842 by Josef Groll. It was in the Czech city of Plzen in 1842. The city is still producing the original blond lager today.
  • The biggest glass of beer was produced in the United Kingdom. The world’s biggest glass of beer was produced by Angus Wood and Dupuy of Stod Fold Brewing Company. The Halifax, United Kingdom brewery’s glass stands 7 feet, 4 inches and holds 2,082 liters of Stod Fold Gold (Ale Beer)
  • In Ancient Babylonia they took beer brewing serious, deadly serious. In Ancient Babylonia a brewer who ruined the quality of the beer would be given a death sentence by drowning.
  • Germany has the largest museum dedicated to beermaking. Makes sense right? The museum is in Altenburg, Germany

Overall, the history of beer is a fascinating subject that spans thousands of years and many different cultures. From its humble beginnings as a dietary staple to its current status as a beloved beverage enjoyed around the world, beer has played an important role in human history. Read more about the history of beer.