A Little History About Alcohol

Throughout history, alcohol has always had a great impact on cultures dating even further back than 10,000 years ago for wine, beer and mead. Alcohol has been used for many purposes such as courage in battle, celebration, seduction, religious ceremonies, nutrition and more. It is believed that some ancient cultures even learned how to make beer before even getting to bread. Now that’s impressive! Some of the ancient cultures that produced and consumed large amounts of alcoholic beverages include ancient Greece, Romans, Egyptians (included alcohol in burial for the afterlife), ancient Babylonians and more. It is believed that the term ‘honeymoon’ comes from ancient Babylon as the bride’s father would see to it that the groom is totally ‘hammered’ on mead (honey wine) for the month following the wedding. Way to go dad!
However, not too long thereafter, agriculture really began to catch on and viticulture began to become one of the necessities. Viticulture is simply the cultivation of grapes for the production and consumption of wine. The first ones to really produce grapes for wine would most likely be the Sumerians which archaeologists have discovered much evidence on clay tablets depicting those ‘happy campers’ all seriously enjoying a life of drinking wine.
Following right behind were the Egyptians and the Babylonians who were cultivating their own barley to make the 20+ styles of beers they were already producing and consuming. Drinking beer was so popular in those ancient cultures, such as in Babylon, that many laws had to be made due to the obnoxious drunks drawing attention to themselves in or near the drinking houses.
Nearing 800 B.C. China and India has started their own style of making alcoholic beverages in the form of distillation of rice and barley. You know what that means…they were making the beloved sake, cognac, brandy and more! But, unfortunately, Europe had to wait a couple hundred years to get their first try at distilling the same ferments.
As the ancient Romans and Greeks began taking up all the attention since they were becoming the greatest civilizations on earth at the time, they were producing quite a bit of wine. There was even a god named Bacchus (aka Dionysus to the Romans), the god of wine, whom the Greeks worshipped in rather organized drinking rituals. Not only were they producing wine, but they also produced many other beverages consumed regularly such as those consisting of herbals as well as the very elusive wormwood seed (used to produce absinthe). I think many of us know that absinthe is what assisted Van Gogh in his historical ear incident. And thanks to the ancient Romans in 55 B.C., beer was finally introduced to Northern Europe during the Roman Civil War where Caesar toasted his troops.
As time progressed, so did alcohol production. Monasteries began allowing beer to be consumed when as a nutritious drink to have with meals, as well as a way to make little side income? Those Trappist ales are quite wonderful! In addition, many of the breweries became inns as well as public houses (pubs) which had become very popular to the grateful people living around them as well as visitors from out of town.
Soon thereafter came the beloved Renaissance. Which meant much advancement in the production of alcohol. No longer were bad brews being blamed on superstitions, but now it was becoming a science. Guilds were formed as well as many more different types of alcoholic beverages such as gin and brandy. This period also lead into the boom in the great brewing cultures their own styles and reputations for their own styles of alcohol such as those styles of beverages we first think of when considering Germany, Russia, England, Belgium, Mexico and more.
The American colonies were soon producing and distributing alcoholic beverages which many believed to offer benefits to one’s health. And it was not until 1785 when Benjamin Rush first questioned the health benefits of alcohol and the government began imposing tax laws on distilled beverages resulting in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. It was also around this time when saloons were becoming quite popular as well as competitive. And in order for saloon owners to keep those profits rolling in, they offered such activities such as gambling and prostitution.
Prohibition began to take its hold on the United States of America as the very first law had passed in Maine, with several states following right behind them. In 1920 prohibition had hit America where it hurts. Through the efforts of the groups who wanted alcohol banished from the nation in order to create a ‘sober nation’, the rise of the smugglers, bootleggers, racketeering and more began to take powerful positions in the country. It was not soon thereafter that those who wanted to enjoy a beverage had to do so illegally through a powerful ‘black market’ and suffer many of the consequences such as contaminated ‘hooch’ and more which led to many illnesses.
Nearing the end of Prohibition, John D. Rockefeller summed it up in 1932 in a letter stating: “When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.”
After prohibition had been lifted, only about 50% of the breweries reopened their businesses including the world famous Budweiser brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. This marked the beginning of a new style of beer called the American Lager.