Understanding Beer: Man’s First Drink

“Man cannot live by bread alone.” Well, bread and beer use (almost) the same ingredients which allows one to put a (heady) twist on this adage. Cheeky as it may sound, some historians even claim that beer probably came before leavened bread. Today, it remains the world’s most consumed alcoholic beverage, third overall, after tea and water, two drinks that, frankly, cannot be included in any party-starter kit.

For a drink with ten thousand years of history, the recipe hasn’t changed much – malt, water, hops and yeast. Of course, we have more technology and we can tinker with some additional ingredients, or play with the type and use of hops, but in principle, beer remains beer. Now most of us wouldn’t overthink things while knocking back a pint with a friend at a pub, but beer has a history and definition of style that is complex enough to rethink their position. This last bit I share from personal experience as someone who recently had to relearn how to taste beer (as opposed to wine) and identify faults, and believe me, before our practical exam day, I felt like a kid a day before their twelfth grade. . Final Board Exam.

The world may drink more lager than ale today but historically, ale has been the traditional drink of choice. In the last few decades, beer has gone totally hipster and we have regional styles like West Coast IPAs becoming globally recognized styles of beer brewed and served in micro-breweries.

“Micro-brews”, now that term is as crafty as it is ‘craft’. Whether you run a few hundred liters a day or the equivalent of 15,000 barrels a year (which is a lot of beer anyway) or an industrial unit the size of a small town, you can all call yourself ‘craft’ in some way.

I prefer the word ‘draft’ to ‘draft’ for my American readers. Fresh, well chilled, and significantly less preservative in beer – not to be missed.

All beer should be bitter, well, it’s an essential ingredient in a beer. Some are more bitter than others but ultimately, a well-made beer should be about balance and freshness and a term that beer-nerds use a lot, ‘session-ability’. This refers to how many pints can be drunk in one sitting (or session). Some would call a beer sessionable (or crushable, or poundable) if it presents an easy-to-appreciate flavor and texture that isn’t too overwhelming or overwhelming. Either way, sessionable or not, from draft or can or bottle, moderation is key because even at about 95% water by volume, it can leave you dehydrated well into the morning.