how beer saved the world

A very interesting program was on last night on the Discovery Channel called How Beer Saved the World. It was amazing learning about all of the different ways beer has kick started many of the things we have and enjoy today.

• Did you know that the agricultural revolution began because of beer?
• Yep. In ancient Mesopotamia, centralized agriculture began because of the need to harvest barley to make beer.
• Did you know that the written language was invented because of beer?
• The Mesopotamians needed to start recording their barley harvest somehow, thus, they began writing it down.
• Did you know the ancient pyramids in Egypt were built with the help of beer?
• It's true. A day's work for the pyramid laborers was worth a jug of beer.
• Did you know that beer helped save many lives during the Middle Ages?
• Water was extremely dangerous to drink back then, as it carried many deadly germs. So, everyone drank beer instead. Boiling the water and barley together killed the germs and bacteria, making beer safer to drink than the water.
• Did you know that the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock because of beer?
• Their original destination was Virginia, but they ran out of beer and needed to land sooner.
• Did you know that the American Revolution was probably started over a pint of beer?
• Taverns were the place to meet during this time. This is where many of the founding fathers went to socialize and discuss political disgust (over a pint or two of course). Many scholars believe that in was at a tavern where they began talking about a revolution. One pint...two pints...three pints, yep, it gets pretty easy at that point to ramble off crazy ideas.

These are just a few of the fun facts that this program introduced. With this craft beer revolution going on right now, it's great to see beer getting the recognition it deserves.