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100
4000 BC - First Evidence of Beer
4000 BC
The earliest accounts of beer date back to 4000 BC, found in ancient texts written by the Sumerians, quite possibly originating as an accident from grains that went through a natural process of fermentation while in storage. Beer eventually provided a safe source of drinking water throughout the ages. -
101
3400 BC - Beer=Life
3400 BC
Bread and Beer became staples of life, whereby they were collected as a form of taxes. Barley was also provided in monthly rations, which was in turn used to create beer. -
102
2650 BC - Beer & Egypt
2650 BC
References to beer begins to appear in Egyptian texts and played a large role in Egyptian society. -
103
2400 BC - Beer & the Pyramids
2400 BC
Taxes collected from farmers in ancient Egypt were repaid in the form of beer and bread to those that helped build the pyramids during their off-season. The greeting "Beer and Bread", meaning "Life and Sustenance", became a common used phrase. -
104
1550 BC - Beer & Medicine
1550 BC
Evidence that beer began being used in conjunction with medicine in Egypt. Boys were advised to consume 2 jugs of beer and 3 loaves of bread per day. -
Jan 1, 750
750 AD - Hops
750 AD
Hops were first added to beer by monks in monasteries that sought a way to better preserve beer. -
Jan 1, 1516
1516 AD - German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot)
1516 AD
Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria seeks to put an end to questionable beer practices throughout present-day Germany by establishing the Beer Purity Law, or Reinheitsgebot. The rule established that beer only be made from hops, barley and water. To this day, it is the oldest food law still in existence. It is also believed that the law was established to help food shortages stemming from years of bad harvest, so that grains such as rye and wheat were directed toward making food and not beer. -
1607 AD - Beer & The New World
1607 AD
Beer reaches the New World, through settlement in Jamestown. The rations were in short supply at first, as beer would spoil on it's trips over from Europe, or be dranken by the crew. This eventually led to the purchase of barley by the settlers from Europe in order to make beer, rather than purchasing beer directly. -
1620 AD - Beer & the Pilgrims
1620 AD
Part of the reason that the pilgrims were dropped off in Plymouth was because the crew of the ships was worried that the beer was going to run out, as it was being consumed in massive quantities by those aboard the ship as a safe source of drinking water. -
1674 AD - Beer & Harvard
Harvard opened it's own brewery, which eventually became a common practice amongst universities. Students were provided beer with their three daily meals. -
1920 AD - Prohibition
1920 AD
The 18th Ammendment, or Volstead Act, was passed in the United States limiting the creation, sale and consumption of beverages throughout the country to a .5% alcohol content. -
1933 AD - Hooray, Beer!
1933 AD
Prohibition was recognized as a mistaken and was repealed in the form of the 21st Ammendment, once again allowing the creation, sale and consumption of alcohol in the United States. -
1978 AD - Microbeer
1978 AD
President Carter legalizes the private brewing of by US citizens and the microbrewery phenomenon begins to take off.
