Alcohol – A History Part I

Controversy, abuse, binge drinking and drink driving are just some of the things that flash through peoples mind when we mention the word alcohol. Yet beneath the bad press brought about by those people abusing these beverages, belies an amazing story dating back to the beginning of mankind.

For as long as man has been on this Earth he has drank beer, but remove the notions of Cavemen going on all night binges waking up with a hangover to go on Great Wooly Mammoth hunts.

For in fact, alcohol has had many uses from those earliest of times, being used in religious, medicinal and dietary roles to social and therapeutic aids throughout the ages.

Its earliest confirmed appearance came about in the Stone Age a fact proved by the beer jugs found in Stone Age archaeological digs.

It has been suggested that Alcohol was used as the main carbohydrate in early man’s staple diet preceding bread itself making it one of the earliest sources of nutrients to mankind.

The fermentation process existed as early as the Neolithic Period when ingredients such as berries and honey were used to really make it the earliest form of amber nectar.

It has been well-documented that wine was first made in the wild grape regions of the Middle East and was intentionally used for medicinal purposes.

In fact, both beer and wine are mentioned in the Old Testament a both social and medicinal aids in everyday ancient times.

The Ancient Babylonians were amongst the first to use both wine and beer for religious purposes. As early as 2700 BC, communities across the land offered the ancient beverages to their gods in an attempt to gain favor and even had specific wine gods that they worshipped.

Ask any local quiz expert and they’ll tell you that beer was invented by the Ancient Egyptians, a fact that we now to be incorrect. The Egyptians can however be credited with the brewing process as well as the confusion due to the belief that their wine god, Osiris was the creator of this divine beverage.