Beer in Europe

Introduction

The history of beer is closely linked to the first steps taken by man in agriculture and the consequent need for storage of grains. Beer in Europe was known long before the Aryan settlement, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula. The oldest beer fans among the Aryan nations are Phrygians that settled in the 2nd BC. Beer has been a traditional drink, and the Celts, then living in large parts of Gaul. Beer was the national drink and was called “Corma” (Hornsey, Pp. 158). This is a Celtic beer in Northern France, Belgium and England until recently. After the fall of the Roman pagan idols and a massive spread Christianization that swept Europe in terms of social, political and demographic aspect caused massive waves of migration in all latitudes of the continent. Irish monks, at that time, spread the beer culture from their land throughout Europe, mostly in the north, where the beer was considered a product, which was indispensable and highly appreciated; drinking water was, in fact, regarded as unhealthy and a sign of poverty. This paper discusses the history of beer in Europe. In addition to this the paper discusses the beer styles in Belgium, its history from origin to social barriers and its production.

Discussion and Analysis

Beer is a low-alcohol beverage that is obtained from an alcoholic fermentation of malt 'Wort' (often based on barley) with brewer's yeast, usually with the addition of hops. The content of ethanol in most beers is 3-6%, with an average grade of about 5.0 % by volume (and sometimes above: contains strong, usually from 8% to 14% vol.), dry matter (mostly carbohydrates) is 7-10% and carbon dioxide is 0.48-1.0% (Bamforth, Russell & Stewart, Pp. 3-22). Beer is prevalent in many countries around the world and is popular for its taste and aroma. There are about a thousand beers. Flavor characteristics of different species can vary dramatically. In the formation of a stable variety of beer is heavily influenced by the country with the highest consumption of this beverage per capita and countries with a specific culture of production (Ireland, Belgium, Brazil, and Japan). Beer is the third most popular beverage in the world (after water and tea) and the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world (Nachel & Ettlinger, Pp. 303-315). Man domesticated grains from seventh millennium BC in the region of Mesopotamia. It is then quite likely that both the bread and beer were discovered at the same time. The history of beer dates far back into the history of mankind: Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages. It is probably known to mankind, since the area of the Fertile Crescent people began about 10,000 years ago to collect grain and accidentally discovered that cereal, which was allowed to stand for several days, began to ferment (Unger, Pp. 1-15).

Beer in Medieval Europe:

Beer in the Middle Ages in Europe was almost everywhere. It was popular with all classes even if wine was considered a noble - and even children were regularly ...