You may find this surprising - the beers and ales of Medieval Europe were considered a good source of nutrition. Hops, one of the crucial ingredients in beer making, has its roots as far back as the Babylonians in the eighth and ninth centuries B.C. Hops and grains made beer a dietary staple as they were rich in proteins and carbohydrates. In Europe, hops were primarily used medicinally. They were added to beer to make both the drink and the medication taste better.
Party On Babylon!!
"In a stunning development, scientists have noted that since the unexpected defeat of Assyria in 612, there has been a dramatic increase in the consumption of alcohol all over the Babylonian Empire."
While the above quote from a supposed Babylonian newspaper in 600 B.C. is obviously exaggerated, it?s absolutely true that from the time of the Babylonians through the Middle Ages, alcohol consumption showed continued growth. In the Middle Ages, many monasteries made beer to nourish their monks as well as sell to the public.
Monks: ?Drink Beer for Nourishment?
Living in their secluded monasteries, monks especially enjoyed beer was during fasting periods as the consumption of beverages was not considered a break in the fast. Enter beer. The consumption of beer in the monasteries reached astounding levels. Get this - historians report that each monk was allowed to drink 5 liters of beer per day. That is the equivalent of 1.32 gallons a day!
The shift from family tradition and ?home brewing? to more centralized production began during the Middle Age. Home breweries turned into inns, taverns and public houses, providing hospitality for travelers and pilgrims Beer remained at the heart of almost every culture and subculture. The Middle Ages were a superstitious time and occasionally distilling/brewing failures were blamed on "brew witches" or even the devil. The last known burning of a "brew witch" took place in 1591.
Science Takes Alcohol Production to a New Level
When most of us think of The Renaissance we think of a time where art flourished. However, during this period brewing beer was considered another form of art. Brewers were one of the first occupations to form a guild (like a modern day union), and continuity was set with old ?Brewmasters" teaching their apprentices the proper techniques. One invention that revolutionized alcohol production was the thermometer. Invented during the Industrial Revolution, the thermometer led to a more controlled scientific method of production and kept the product from becoming a foul mixture that had to be thrown away.
The Industrial Revolution saw the development of steam power, refrigeration and the science of microbiology. As technology advanced it became possible to distill spirits and produce alcohol at much purer and higher strength. Germany, Belgium, and Britain soon evolved as distinct brewing cultures, with some countries developing a specialized beverage that became recognized as the locale's national drink. Examples include Russian Vodka, Scottish Whisky, Mexican Tequila, and the Greek Ouzo. Advances in science continued to make the brewing process safer and easier.
Alcohol also played an important role in early American society. During the time of the American Revolution, there was little concern over alcohol consumption and drunkenness as alcoholic beverages had become and important part of Colonial commerce. The Revolutionary War saw the first regulations of alcohol, with soldiers being told how much they could consume. These controls lasted only until the war ended and soon thereafter alcohol consumption increased.
Historically we do not know much about how well these groups handled their intake of alcohol. Surely, there were many who imbibed often and would be described as binge drinkers or even heavy drinkers. There is some evidence to suggest that alcohol problems were prevalent as far back as 10,000 years ago. Unfortunately, these groups did not have access to alcohol awareness classes, and with no Internet, they could not educate themselves via an online alcohol class.
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