The history of beer is rooted deep in the past, and the person who first brewed this delicious foamy drink remains unknown to this day. Scientists conduct whole research, trying to understand which country can rightfully be considered the birthplace of beer, but in a huge sea of different versions, the truth is almost impossible to find.
Modern scientific hypotheses
Today, most historians, archaeologists and brewing experts believe that beer first appeared in Germany. The German and English names of beer Bier and Beer are derived from the old Germanic word Vgog, which, in turn, comes from the Latin term birer - which literally means “drink”.
It was the Germans who first invented the bottom fermentation of beer, which allowed it to stay fresh for a longer period of time.
According to another version, the historical homeland of the intoxicating drink made from hops is ancient Mesopotamia, on the territory of which Syria and Iran are located today. It was on this territory that archaeologists found a recipe for making beer, which dates back to 5000 BC. Later the beer spread throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
There are scientists who believe that hops, which are an indispensable component of beer, were brought to Europe from the Slavic lands, where this wonderful plant was first cultivated. According to the results of archaeological excavations in Novgorod, barley drinks were made by the inhabitants of Russia in the ninth century.
Historical and mythological hypotheses
In addition to scientific versions, there are many folk and religious legends that offer their own versions of the appearance of beer. However, archaeologists believe that the age of these legends does not correspond to reality, since the first beer recipes were known even before our era. So, German scientists discovered more than 15 recipes that an unknown author carved on the stones of a Sumerian temple. As a result, Sumerian beer began to be brewed in Mesopotamia, and then the ancient Egyptians joined the art of brewing. In addition to the Egyptians, the Babylonians also knew how to brew beer at that time. The two-meter basalt pillar with the Babylonian codex, found by an archaeologist, contained two statutory clauses allowing beer to be made and traded.
Brewers producing a substandard or watered-down beverage in Babylon were forcibly forced to drink their beer until death.
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus attributed the invention of the intoxicating drink to the Egyptian god Osiris, while the Romans were sure that the ancient Roman goddess Ceres invented the beer. German legend says that King Gambrinus, the patron saint of all brewers, was the first to brew it.
