BEER TRIVIA

DID YOU KNOW?

That by 4,000 BC the Babylonians had made 16 different types of beer from barley, wheat and honey.

Beer was in common use in China about 2,000 BC.

The first American brewery was built in 1612 in New Amsterdam (New York City).

The first brewhouse was built by William Penn in Philadelphia in 1685.

Philadelphia was the home of the first chill-brewed lager, manufactured by John Wagner in 1840.

Beer was sold in glass bottles in Germany as early as 1561.

The United States is by far the largest brewer in the world, producing over 5 billion gallons each year with approximately 40 independent brewers. Germany, a distant second, produces over 2.6 billion gallons annually with over 1,300 breweries. Great Britain is in third place, with 1.7 billion gallons a year.

The Germans drink the most beer, about 40 gallons per person every year. Belgium is a close second at 39 gallons per person, while the United States is thirteenth.

The worlds largest brewer is Anheuser-Busch (1.3 billion gallons) followed by Schlitz (719 million gallons). Japan is third (636 million gallons).

A keg of beer has 15½ gallons. A barrel has 31 gallons.

Draught beers are rarely pasteurised and should be consumed in less that 30 days. Pasteurised beer has a greater life expectancy than unpasteurised beer.

Dark beer has a greater life expectancy than light beer.

Among light beers, life expectancy decreases with lightness. The paler the beer, the more fragile the constitution. Beers with a high alcoholic content live longer than low alcoholic beer. Low-calorie beers are at their best for a very short time.

Heavily hopped beers live longer than lightly hopped beers.

Beers with a high percentage of barley malt live longer than beers with a lesser amount.

In per capita beer consumption, New Hampshire is 1st, followed by Nevada, Wisconsin, Texas, and Arizona. Utah is last.

59% of all American males and 37% of all American females are beer drinkers.

Until 1979, making beer at home was illegal. In February of that year a law was passed allowing citizens to legally make up to 100 gallons of beer per year.

Beer is the least fattening alcoholic drink. Per ounce, drambuie has 110 calories, 100 proof spirits has 85 calories, 80 proof spirits has 65 calories, sherry has 36 calories, champagne has 25 calories, and chablis has 22 calories. Beer, on the other hand, has only 13 calories per ounce.

In 1880, the golden age of American brewing, there were 2,272 American breweries. In 2000, there were around 64, although that number is climbing.

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