Lager, ale hold intriguing history
Nearly 193.5 million gallons of beer were produced in the United States in 2001.
But many of those who consume the beverage don’t know much about its entertaining history.
For instance, the reason the Mayflower stopped at Plymouth Rock was because the crew was running low on beer. They stopped at the nearest piece of land so they could make more, said Paul Gatza, the director of the American Homebrewers Association.
Also, the first child born in the New World was born in a brewery in Manhattan, he said.
Nobody really knows how alcohol was discovered because it occurred long before writing was invented. The general consensus is that somebody stumbled upon yeast in a water puddle 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.
“Somebody probably drank from the puddle and found himself getting fat and happy,” Gatza said. “Thus, alcohol was discovered.”
The oldest evidence of beer has been found in Iran and dates from 5000 B.C., said Lew Bryson, a beer researcher and author of two books on the subject. Pottery has been found with the chemical residues of barley fermentation.
Many believe humans went from being hunters and gatherers to being farmers so that they could make beer, an idea that is becoming more and more accepted, he said.
Brewing was traditionally a woman’s job, a “household chore,” up until the 1500s when men realized there was money to be made in selling beer, Gatza said.
“They basically took over the industry, and now it’s a male-dominated occupation,” he said.
Beer is a social unifier that has been fostering rebellion for thousands of years, Gatza said.
“In the Revolutionary War, the decisions to rebel were made in taverns, which were the centers of the communities,” he said. “Beer is vital to our community interaction. It allows us to talk these things through.”
Aluminum cans were invented by the Coors brewing company in Golden, Colo., which is currently the largest brewery in the country. They debuted Jan. 22, 1959, and Coors paid one cent for each can that was returned, which led to a recycling revolution, according to www.coors.com.
Utah can stand proud because of its beer heritage, Gatza said. On Dec. 7, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the repeal of prohibition, passing the two-thirds majority requirement.
While beer remains a constant part of society, what people prefer is always changing. For example, Bud Light passed up Budweiser as the most popular beer in America two years ago. Now, three of the top four brands are light beers, with Miller Light and Coors light finishing in third and fourth.
Gatza said the change is probably because many Americans aren’t drinking beer for the taste.
“These people are not really drinking beer for the beer flavor,” he said. “They are drinking it for the refreshment and the social aspect.”
There are two types of beer — lagers and ales. Lagers are made and kept cold. They have more of the malt and hops taste because the yeast gets in the way of those flavors in ales, Bryson said.
Ales are older and predate cold refrigeration. Because they are made in warmer temperatures, the reaction of the yeast occurs more quickly, and it has more of a yeast taste. Often, bananas or peaches are added to ales, he said.
There are four main ingredients in the malted barley beer most Americans drink: water, yeast, hops and barley. Light beer is made by adding more water to the recipe. The color of the beer is determined by how much malt is added.
Hops are cone-shaped clusters of blossoms from the vine-like hops plant, and they are the spice of beer. Hops also provides the bitter flavor in beer and has a natural preservative quality. Beer has been made with other spices in the past, but they tended to spoil, so hops became the spice of choice, according to www.budweiser.com.
Breweries from across the nation are judged in the annual Great American Beer Festival. Last year, one of the seven companies from Utah to enter, all of which are from the Salt Lake area, earned a gold medal. The Utah Brewers Cooperative won first out of 23 entries in the bitter category.
There were 58 different categories, and 1,200 breweries participated. This year marks the 21st festival, which will be held from Sept. 25 to 27 in Denver, Colo. The festival is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most beers in one place, Gatza said.
Bryson said beer doesn’t play a healthy role in American society because it isn’t seen for what it really is.
“It is sold as almost everything but what it is — a food,” Bryson said. “Those who make it are not allowed to put a label on beer because those who make the laws don’t want to imply that it’s healthy, even though study after study says it is.
“Most beer consumers get drunk, that’s the sad truth, but nobody wants to talk about it. Being drunk is seen as a manhood thing.”
He said beer is treated much more responsibly in other countries, something he hopes will happen in the United States.
Beer has a more diverse flavor range than wine or spirits. If consumers realize that, it will get more respect, Gatza said.
Bryson said the key for beer is to get more credibility with chefs, something that is starting to happen.
“Light beer is much better with cheese than wine,” he said. “It has a much wider range of flavors to match with food. Most Americans have barely even touched the tip of it or are even aware of the tip of it, but chefs are beginning to realize its possibilities.”
Most of the varieties of beer available in the United States today are basically the same thing, Bryson said.
“I just want beer to get its place in the sun,” Bryson said. “Then I can get more variety. I love going into a store and having a choice, like coffee. That’s what I’m looking for with beer.”
–kcartwright@cc.usu.edu