Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world and also historically the oldest. It has a rich history and culture, and it is enjoyed by people all over the world. Beer has impacted the way people unite and interact with their communities since the beginning of time. Today, beer is the third most widely consumed drink, second only to water and tea.
Beer has played a significant role in human civilization. It has been a valuable food staple and a part of human life for millennia. It has been used as a symbol of friendship and has been associated with cultural traditions such as beer festivals. Beer has been used as money in ancient times. The builders of the Great Pyramids were paid in beer. Below are some fun facts about beer!
20 Interesting Beer Facts
There are beer spas in the Czech Republic.
You can have a 20 minute bath in beer brewing ingredients. Chodovar Beer Spa claims that it boosts blood circulation, opens up pores, softens the skin and infuses the body with vitamins.
The Real Beer Bath® is a 20-minute soak in a 34°C tub filled with water, IL SANO® mineral water, dark Bath Beer, active beer yeast, hop draff, and crushed herbs. This bath generates a caramel-colored foam and a fresh dark beer aroma. After the bath, clients rest for at least 20 minutes, wrapped in a sheet and quilt, with dimmed lights and soothing music.
Beer brands made in the Pilsner style are the most successful.
Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Coors are all made in the Pilsner Style. Golden, sparkling, and incredibly refreshing, Pilsner is the world’s most popular beer, revolutionizing the brewing industry. Although lager had been brewed in Bavaria and Bohemia for centuries, Pilsner, created in the mid-1800s, was the first pale lager. Americans have long taken the easy-drinking Pilsner for granted, with makers emphasizing its crisp, refreshing qualities over its subtle taste and aroma.
That the most popular breweries are in the United States.
Leading the top five craft brewing companies were D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc, Boston Beer Co, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Duvel Moortgat, and Gambrinus.
The top five overall brewing companies were Anheuser-Busch Inc, Molson Coors, Constellation, Heineken USA, and Pabst Brewing Co.
That Anheuser Busch brews the most famous beer in the world.
Budweiser is known throughout the world. It is available in over 80 countries, though not always under the Budweiser name in places were Anheuser-Busch does not own the trademark. The Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar claims it was the first to use the name “Budweiser,” based on the city of Budweis (now České Budějovice), where it has been brewing since 1895. This claim has led to a long-standing legal battle with Anheuser-Busch over the “Budweiser” trademark, resulting in different rulings in various countries due to local trademark laws. Consequently, Anheuser-Busch does not have rights to the “Budweiser” trademark in some countries because of the precedence claimed by the Czech brewery.
In some European and Asian countries there is beer on the menu in McDonalds.
McDonalds serves beer in countries such as France, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Austria and South Korea. They also serve in Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Luthuania. The Czech Republic, Serbia, Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland serve beer as well.
The strongest beer in the world is brewed by a Scottish brewery, Brewmeister.
Brewmeister’s Snake Venom brew is 67.5% alcohol by volume. There is another beer, also produced in Scotland and sold on Amazon in the UK that claims they are 75% ABV. This is the description from the Amazon UK listing:
Through the mists of time in ancient Scotland, a Legend was born of the deepest water and the purest fire. Too fierce for its native land it was unleashed upon the world. Hope lies in one strong enough to tame the Beithir Fire. Released in Summer 2021 this 75% ABV Beer brewed in Scotland was born out of a relationship between two of Scotland’s most famous products: beer and distilled spirits. We are told that each triple distilled bottle takes over 3 months to produce. Formed in the heart of Scotland and located in Edinburgh between several of the biggest Whisky distilleries in the world, Scottish Beithir Fire is the World’s strongest Beer. As the warning label states due to the extremely high alcohol content of the beer it should be treated with respect and handled responsibly.
Oktoberfest in Germany is the biggest beer festival in the world.
With six million guests annually, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest public festival. It’s no surprise, given its celebration of Bavarian tradition with delicious food, Munich beer, and numerous rides and attractions on the festival grounds and in the tents.
Experience highlights like the Grand Entry of the Oktoberfest landlords and breweries, the ceremonial opening of the beer tapping, and the traditional costume parade on the first Sunday.
People from around the globe come together to celebrate in 17 large and 21 small festival tents.
There is a swimming pool filled with beer in Austria.
Schloss Starkenberger Brewery in Tarrentz has the pool and lets guest swim in it. They don’t just have 1 pool they have 7! There are seven pools full of beer lining the walls of an old fermentation room. Beer is served poolside.
There is a trick to quickly chill a beer.
Put ice and salt in a bowl and stir. Use this trick and have a chilled brew in only two minutes.
That a beer that tastes like pizza was created by a UK brewer.
Seven Bro7hers Brewing in the UK crafted a beer that tastes almost exactly like Pizza. The beer is called Show me the Honey was developed to replicate the sweet flavors of the UK’s Chicago Towns Sweet Honey BBQ Salami pizza which features a tomato sauce filled crust and is topped with sweet honey BBQ sauce, a blend of mozzarella and red cheddar, salami and red onions.
Beer has been made with Barley that was grown on the International Space Station.
Japanese brewer Sapporo fermented barley that was grown at the International Space Station in the world’s first space beer. The Japanese-owned Sapporo Brewery, one of the nation’s oldest beer producers, has ventured into an innovative frontier. Although the beer itself wasn’t brewed in space, its barley ingredient was. Through a joint program involving Sapporo, the Russian Academy of Science, and Okayama University in Japan, a small amount of barley was grown aboard the ISS. This project aimed to research the cultivation of foodstuffs in Earth orbit.
Do not let your dog eat hops.
Hops are poisonous to dogs. When dogs ingest hops the consequences can be disastrous, including malignant hyperthermia and death. Any dog with an exposure to brewing hops (fresh, pellet or spent) is at risk of developing malignant hyperthermia and should be closely monitored for at least 12 hours.
Most American’s live within 10 miles of a craft brewery.
Yet we are still ranked 20th on per capita consumption.
That a standard growler is 64 ounces or a half gallon.
A little shy of a 6 pack. In some states in the United States it is illegal to sell beer in growlers. One of the stories of how growlers got their name is that when the pales, jugs, etc were carried home the beer sloshed around. This caused the carbon dioxide to escape and would create a growling noise. The other theory is that customers would growl when the bartender would fill a 2 quart paid with only a pint of beer.
There were only 89 breweries in the United States in 1978.
The lowest number on record since 1873. In 2022 there were 9,709 breweries in the U.S. Over a 10,000% increase.
There are over 1,100 craft breweries in California.
There is conflicting information of which states are next, most sources say Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. Living in Northern Michigan I would have thought our state would have been number 1. There are a lot of great breweries in Northern Michigan!
The expiration date on beer is just a suggestion.
If stored properly beer can last from 6-9 months beyond it expiration date on the label. At the right temperature, refrigerated beer can last for up to two years beyond expiration. Can’t say I have met anyone that has kept a beer in their fridge for over 2 years.
Beer commercials may not show people drinking in the United States.
Many think that U.S. law forbids the promotion of alcohol consumption on national television. Legally, they can show it, however unofficially, it is banned based off previous agreements and codes of conduct and network guidelines. The alcohol companies have very strict self-regulation policies that they all agree on.
Zythology is the study of beer.
It is also called beerology. Zymology, also known as zymurgy, is an applied science that studies the biochemical process of fermentation and its practical uses. Common topics include the selection of fermenting yeast and bacteria species and their use in brewing, wine making, fermenting milk, and the making of other fermented foods.
A Cicerone is a beer sommelier.
The title is for trained professionals with proven experience in selecting, acquiring and serving today’s wide range of beers. There is a trademarked course to become certified.