Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), and rice are widely used. Most beer is flavored with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavorings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. Alcoholic beverages distilled after fermentation, fermented from non-starch sources such as grape juice (wine) or honey (mead), or fermented from un-malted starches (rice wine) are not classified as beer.
Some of humanity's earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating beer and beer parlours, and "The Hymn to Ninkasi," a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, served as both a prayer and as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. Today, the brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries.
The basics of brewing beer are shared across national and cultural boundaries and are commonly categorized into two main types—the globally popular pale lagers, and the regionally distinct ales, which are further categorised into other varieties such as pale ale, stout and brown ale. The strength of beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (abv.) though may range from less than 1% abv., to over 20% abv. in rare cases.
Beer forms part of the culture of various beer-drinking nations and has acquired various social traditions and associations, such as beer festivals and a rich pub culture involving activities such as pub crawling or pub games such as bar billiards.
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The Beer WikiProject
WikiProject Beer is an association of Wikipedians with an interest in beer and beer-related subjects. They have come together to coordinate the development of beer and brewery articles here on Wikipedia. Additionally, other groups have formed other projects that entertain subjects that are directly related to beer, bartending and pubs. Additionally, the mixed drinks project covers topics that include beer cocktails. If any of these subjects pique your interest, please feel free to visit their projects. These groups would love to have you participate!
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Lager is a type of beer which was first brewed in Central Europe some 500 years ago, and has since become the most popular type of beer in the world. The word comes from German and means "storage". Traditionally, the beer is stored for several weeks or longer before being served. Lager is a general term that includes several variations or styles, such as Pilsener, Vienna and Märzen.
Lager is distinguished from ale by its yeast. Lager yeast ferments at colder temperatures and flocculates on the bottom of the fermenting vessel, while ale yeast ferments at warmer temperatures and settles on the tops of fermentation tanks.[citation needed] The organism most often associated with lager brewing is Saccharomyces pastorianus, a close relative of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
As the modern definition of lager relates only to the method of fermentation, lager beers' characteristics are quite varied.
The default lager encountered in worldwide production is light in color and usually represents the helles, pale lager or Pilsener styles. The flavor of these lighter lagers is usually mild and the producers often recommend that the beers be served refrigerated. However, the examples of lager beers produced worldwide vary greatly in flavor, color, and composition.
In color, while helles and pale lager represent the lightest lagers at as pale a color as 6 EBC, the darkest are Baltic porters which can be as dark as 400 EBC; darker German lagers are often referred to as Dunkel lagers.
The flavor of a lager can be quite simple, with the most mild being light lagers. The most complexly-flavored lagers are usually the darkest, although few lagers feature strong hop flavoring compared to an ale of similar alcohol by volume. In general, however, lagers display less fruitiness and spiciness than ales, simply because the lower fermentation temperatures associated with lager brewing cause the yeast to produce fewer of the esters and phenols associated with those flavors.
In strength, lagers represent some of the world's most alcoholic beers. The very strongest lagers often fall into the German-originated doppelbock style, with the strongest of these commercially produced, Samichlaus, reaching 14% ABV.
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Alexander Keith
B. (1795-10-05)October 5, 1795 – d. December 14, 1873(1873-12-14) (aged 73)
Alexander Keith was a Canadian politician, Freemason and brewmaster. He was mayor of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Conservative member of the provincial legislature, and the founder of Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery.
Keith was born in Halkirk, Caithness, Highland, Scotland, where he became a brewmaster. He immigrated to Canada in 1817, founded the Alexander Keith's brewing company in 1820. He served as mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia three times, and as a member of the Legislative Council for 30 years.
Throughout his career Keith was connected with several charitable and fraternal societies. He served as president of the North British Society from 1831 and as chief of the Highland Society from 1868 until his death. In 1838 he was connected with the Halifax Mechanics Library and in the early 1840s with the Nova Scotia Auxiliary Colonial Society. Keith was also well known to the Halifax public as a leader of the Freemasons. He became provincial grand master for the Maritimes under the English authority in 1840 and under the Scottish lodge in 1845. Following a reorganization of the various divisions in 1869, he became grand master of Nova Scotia. There are 4 masonic lodges named in his honor, one in New Brunswick in Moncton, and 3 in Nova Scotia being in Halifax, Stellarton, and Bear River.
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Molson was Canada's largest alcoholic beverage brewer with sales of more than $2 billion CAD in 2003, and 3,800 employees working at five breweries. In February 2005, it merged with Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Company. At the time of the merger, Molson controlled about 45% of the Canadian beer market and ties for first place with Labatt.
Founded in Montreal in 1786, Molson Canada is the second oldest brewery in North America and, to this day, continues to produce beer on the site of the original brewery. The company markets a number of the most popular brands of beer in Canada in addition to a portfolio of award-winning brands which include Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Molson Export, Molson Dry and Rickard’s. Through partnerships with other major brewers, Molson Canada also offers several world-renowned brands, including Heineken, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft, Foster's Lager and Tiger. Molson employs 3,000 people in Canada and operates six breweries in location across the country (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and St. John's), including Creemore boutique brewery in Ontario. The company invests in communities Canada-wide through various charitable giving initiatives as well as sport and entertainment sponsorships. Molson Canada is part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company.
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Beer, if drunk with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health |
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— Thomas Jefferson
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[[File:|center|250px|A bottle of Karlovačko beer, Brna, Korčula, Croatia]]
A bottle of Karlovačko beer, Brna, Korčula, Croatia
The following are categories relating to beer.
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