10 Surprising Facts About Beer

The average medieval person consumed 3 liters of beer per day, London experienced a "great beer flood," and in Norway, changing the strength of beer almost led to a political crisis.

Here are the most surprising facts about beer.

1. Beer is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Every day, at least one billion people on the planet drink a bottle of beer.
2. The daily diet of an Egyptian pyramid builder: three loaves of bread, three jugs of beer, and a couple of onions. Beer was consumed not only by ordinary workers but also by pharaohs. Cleopatra is remembered not only for her love-political intrigues but also for being one of the first to introduce a beer tax under the pretext of protecting people from excessive drinking.
3. Beer accessories: have existed for many centuries. For example, a wall panel survives showing Nefertiti pouring a hopped drink through a special strainer. In ancient Sumer, people drank barley beer through golden straws.
4. The Code of Hammurabi: besides the "eye for an eye" principle, included a law allowing innkeepers who charged too much for beer to be drowned in vats.
5. First brewers: brewing was originally the prerogative of women. In Mesopotamia, there was even a goddess of brewing – Ninkasi. In medieval England, a category of women brewers called Ale Wives emerged, who often became characters in folk stories.
6. Beer and bread: were two key staples in Central and Northern Europe until the 18th century. In the 17th century, every member of a typical European family drank at least 3 liters of beer per day. Beer was also eaten in breakfast soups, made from hot and cold beer, butter, eggs, bread, and sugar.
7. The London Beer Flood, 1814: beer vats exploded, spilling 1,500,000 liters onto the streets, flooding them and destroying several houses. Eight people drowned in beer, and one person died from alcohol poisoning.
8. Norway, 1980: reducing the strength of Pilsner beer from 4.5% to 3.2% caused public outrage and led to a discussion in the parliament.
9. The "Beer Mile," 1989: Canadian athletes created a 1069-meter race in which participants run four laps, drinking a can of beer before each lap.
10. Beer and gastronomy: beer pairs wonderfully with oysters, especially porters, stouts, and IPAs. Mussels and grape snails are also good snacks. As Somerset Maugham described: beer, fatty oysters, steak with onions, and fried potatoes.