Sleepy History - Beer: The World’s Oldest Drink?

Episode Date: September 6, 2026

✨Sleepy History is written and narrated by humans. ✨ Narrated By: Simon Mattacks Written By: Alexandra Turney Discover the story of one of the world’s most ancient drinks - a journey that takes us from Mesopotamia to medieval monasteries, all the way to the modern craft beer movement. Includes mentions of: Ancient History, Beer, Alcohol, Religious Traditions, US History #History #Sleep #beer #alcohol #drinking #ancient #traditions About Sleepy History Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, add-free, and support the show, check out our premium feed. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, You Have Cancer. That's why every step and dollar-raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto

for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and friends. family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. Don't you wish you could just hit skip on the worst parts of your life? You know the same way you can skip an ad? I get it. I'm Siaia and I live in Ice Cove. I've made some questionable decisions that didn't end up the way I planned. and today I'm still figuring it out. Somehow things usually get worse before they get better.

Apparently, that's how I roll. So bundle up and come along for the bumpy ride. Stream a new episode of North of North Tuesdays on CBC Gem. It's one of the oldest drinks in the world. In ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, many people drank it on a daily basis, and it played an important part in religious celebrations. But how did beer become?

one of the world's favorite drinks. And how has the beverage itself changed over time? This evening, we'll be exploring the fascinating story of beer and brewing. We'll learn about attitudes to beer in different cultures and revolutions in the brewing industry over the centuries. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of beer. As far as we know, the first people to brew beer lived in Mesopotamia, about 5,000 years ago. The Sumerians were a civilization in southern Mesopotamia, now Iraq.

Archaeological evidence, such as chemical traces of beer in a jar, suggests that the Sumerians intentionally began to brew beer as early as 3,500 BCE. They may have been inspired by the fermentation process while baking bread. While we don't know exactly when, how or why the Sumerians first began brewing beer, it's very likely that the first brewers were women. In many parts of the world, brewing has traditionally been considered a female activity, and in Sumer, beer and brewing were associated with a female goddess, In Kasi, there's even a famous hymn to Ninkasi, which some have interpreted as a kind of beer recipe.

It likely began as a song that was sung while brewing. Before it was written down in cuneiform on a clay tablet, around 1800 BCE. The hymn to Nincassi describes the brewing process in detail. It mentions the equipment used from various jars. to read mats, and it celebrates the intoxicating effects of beer, a blissful mood, a joyful heart, and a happy liver. Beer also features in the famous poem The Epic of Gilgamesh. After seven pictures of beer, the character Enkidu has a light heart and a glowing face and sings with joy.

From texts like this and other archaeological evidence, we know that beer was highly valued in Mesopotamian society. It was consumed on a daily basis and seen as a divine drink, which explains why it seems to have been drunk in large amounts at religious festivals. However, this wasn't just an excuse for hedonism. The people of Mesopotamia truly believed beer to be sacred and life-enhancing.

And brewers took pride in the quality of their product. Mesopotamian beer was made from barley and brewed without hops. Compared to modern beers, it would have likely had a sour taste and a thick, almost porridgey consistency. For added flavour, it may have sometimes. contained herbs and spices such as coriander or a sweetener like date syrup. In other words, Mesopotamian beer was quite different to the beverage we know today. Another difference was how the beer was drunk through a reed straw. In fact, the straw was invented in Mesopotamium.

It may have been created specifically for beer drinking. Although the beer would have been filtered to some degree, the straw helped the drinker to avoid any leftover sediment. Judging by surviving artworks, it seems that the Mesopotamians sometimes drank beer from a shared vessel. People would sit around a big clay pot, drinking beer through long straws. As we've seen, the people of Mesopotamia enjoyed beer for its taste and its intoxicating effect,

but perhaps there was also another more practical reason for its popularity. Beer was relatively safe to drink. It was made using fresh water which had to be boiled, and the fermentation process got rid of bacteria and disease. So wild beer didn't entirely replace water. It was certainly a safer bet than drinking from a polluted canal. Beer was also filling, providing calories and nutrition, as well as hydration. In part, this may explain why the beverage became such a staple in Mesopotamia and was even given to labourers as part of their rations.

As we mentioned, the first brewers were likely women brewing at home. Over time, it became a more commercial enterprise. Brewing also took place in taverns and dedicated breweries, which were often managed by the local authorities. And while women continued to brew, increasingly, men became more involved. This is a pattern we'll see in other parts of the world. While the Sumerians were the first known civilization to brew beer on a large scale, they weren't necessarily the first people to make it.

There's possible evidence for brewing at Scarra Bray, a 5,000-year-old settlement in Orkney, Scotland, and in China, the evidence dates back even further. to 7,000 BCE. Archaeologists found vessels containing traces of a beer-like beverage near a grave. This suggests that the drink may have formed part of a burial ceremony. Again, this wasn't beer quite as we think of it today. It was a fermented beverage made from rice, grain and tubers,

and it would have likely tasted sweet. Still, wild beer is thought to have been an important ritual drink in ancient China, for many centuries it wasn't the alcoholic beverage of choice. A rice wine known as Wangju was much more popular. What's interesting is that while Chinese beer has an ancient history, the drink didn't become widely popular until the 20th century. with the introduction of European-style brewing. Qingdao Brewery, now one of the largest in China,

was founded by an Anglo-German company in 1903. And it was only in the 1980s that beer really took off in China. It's a similar story in India, ancient origins and a fairly modern revival. From Vedic literature, we know that a beer-like drink known as Surah was produced around 1500 BCE. However, archaeological evidence suggests that rice beer and other fermented beverages resembling beer may be even more ancient. Historically, while beer and other alcoholic

beverages were consumed in India, attitudes were mixed. In some Hindu traditions, drinking alcohol was frowned upon, and drunkenness was certainly something to be avoided. Of course, tends to be less alcoholic than many other beverages. Nonetheless, for whatever reason, it seems that beer wasn't that widely drunk in India until the arrival of European-style beer in the 18th century. The story of India Pale Ale is something we'll be coming back to later. Before we know, we move on from ancient history, there's another civilization that deserves a mention. The Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians were enthusiastic producers and consumers of beer. It was initially brewed at home by female brewers before becoming an industry run by men. Unlike modern beer,

Egyptian beer didn't contain hops. It was generally made from malted wheat and barley and had a thick, doughy consistency. Egyptian beer was sometimes drunk through a straw from a shared vessel, just like in Mesopotamia. It also had a similarly important role in daily life. Beer was drunk every day, forming part of many people's diets. Egyptian workers were sometimes paid in beer. The labourers who built the pyramids of geese,

Caesar were entitled to several liters per day. Beer was also believed to have health benefits. A papyrus, dating back to 1550 BCE, contains a lengthy list of remedies for various conditions, including berries washed down with beer to treat constipation. Beer was also consumed at banquets, religious festivals, and funerals. And it wasn't just for the guests. Offerings to the dead sometimes included a serving of beer to help them on their way to the afterlife.

As beer was considered a divine drink, people also made offerings to the Egyptian gods, such as the goddess Hathor. While Hathor is perhaps best known as a sky goddess, She was also the deity of intoxication. At the Feast of Drunkenness, held in her honour, Egyptians would drink blood-red beer, as the name of the festival suggests they drank to excess.

As with beer drinking at Mesopotamian rituals, there was likely more going on here than mere hedonism. Revelers may have been aiming for a state of religious, ecstasy. Considering how important beer was in ancient Egyptian society, it's no surprise that brewing developed into a proper industry. Several years ago, archaeologists in southern Egypt discovered the remains of a mass production brewery. At more than 5,000 years old, it's thought to be one of the world's oldest, the site which consisted of rows of of vats of fermentation was likely used to supply beer for royal rituals. Given its status in

Mesopotamia and Egypt, you might expect beer to have been similarly revered in ancient Greece. There's no doubt that the Greeks drank beer. From archaeological evidence, beer production began in the Bronze Age. However, ancient Greece was predominantly a wine-drinking culture. Homer's Odyssey, for instance, has a multitude of references to wine. Characters drink wine at feasts, make a gift of it, and use it in religious rituals. But there isn't a single reference to beer. Similarly, in other works of Greek literature, there's plenty about wine, but not much about beer. Zithos, as the Greeks called it, seems to have been consistent.

considered an inferior drink. The ancient Romans also preferred wine. In the fourth century, the Roman Emperor Julian the Appostate even composed an epigram mocking beer drinkers. He wrote that while Bacchus, the god of wine, smelled like nectar, those who drank beer smelled like goat. Overall, we might say that while some Greeks and Romans undoubtedly drank and enjoyed beer, it didn't have the same prestige as wine.

Among the elite, beer was considered foreign, a beverage for barbarians. In medieval Europe, however, beer was a drink for everyone. For people of all social classes, and sometimes even children. There's a popular myth that in medieval times, people drank more beer than water. According to some historians, that's not the case. After all, water was cheaper than beer, and fresh, clean water was available to many. People drank beer, not necessarily because it was safer than water, but for the taste, effects, and nutritional value. As it was made with grain, beer contained carbohydrates. It was thick and filling, a meal as much as a drink.

A type of beer known as small beer had low alcohol content. In England, it remained a popular drink right up to the 18th century and was frequently drunk by children. However, some thought that beer was unhealthy. In 1256, an Italian physician wrote that beer was harmful for the head, stomach and teeth, and that it caused bad breath. Still, it had some advantages. The physician noted that beer facilitated urination and made one's skin white and smooth.

By the 9th century, in parts of what is now Germany, beer was being made with a new ingredient. Hops. Hops are the flowers of a plant called cumulus lupulus. When added to beer, they provide flavor and bitterness. Hopped beer has a distinctive taste and aroma, often a little floral, fruity or citrusy. Additionally, hops and act as a stabilizer, keeping beer fresher for longer. People in Germany and other parts of Western Europe soon developed a taste for hopped beer. Popularity of the drink spread, beer making became a major industry. But in medieval England, not everyone was convinced by hopped beer. There was a strong culture of ale, which in those times, unlike.

like today, was made without hops. To add bitterness, a herbal mixture known as Groot was used instead. Recipes varied, but it often contained bog myrtle, marsh rosemary, and laurel berries. Groot was also used in other parts of Europe, before gradually becoming replaced by hops. However, before hopped beer took off, people in England mainly drank ale, and they drank it in huge quantities. From records, it seems that some people drank around a gallon of ale a day. That's nearly four liters.

Historians aren't sure how alcoholic medieval ale was, but some types likely had a much lower alcohol content than modern beer. People also drank ale for hydration, and as an alternative to food, not just to get drunk. Because ale didn't contain hops, it had a short shelf life. It had to be consumed fairly quickly and locally. As a result, alehouses were ubiquitous. By the 16th century, there were more than 14,000 in England. An ale house was both a brewery and a kind of pub where people could gather to drink. In medieval times,

ale was traditionally prepared by women known as alewives. From records, we know that some ale wives were unmarried. Brewing ale provided women with a source of income and allowed some to become economically independent. But over time, brewing became an increasingly male industry, and ale wives were stigmatized. By the 16th century, they were often portrayed as being dishonest and immoral. The stereotype was that ale wives were unfaithful to their husbands,

and that they were prone to cheating their customers by serving watered-down ale. However, even as ale wives began to fall out of favour, ale itself remained popular in England. It was essentially a national drink. Hopped beer, on the other hand, was seen as foreign, unhealthy, and even immoral. As late as the 16th century,

hops were described as a wicked and poor. pernicious weed. King Henry VIII even told his brewer not to put hops in his ale. The opposition to hops can partly be explained by the religious context. Hopped beer came from continental Europe. During the Reformation, religious tensions meant that hops were sometimes associated with Protestant influences. Nonetheless, from the 15th century onwards, Hops were cultivated in England, and brewers began to make hopped beer. For a while, beer was produced separately. An English brewery either brewed beer or ale, not both.

But over time, the English also developed a taste for hops, just like people in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. And by the 18th century, it seems that beer was generally preferred to ale. According to an English writer, most part of our countrymen doth abhor and abandon ale as a loathsome drink. Of course, the name ale survived, but it came to refer to a beverage made with hops, just like beer. This is where it gets a little confusing.

A modern day ale is also classified as a beer. It also contains hops. But there's still a difference. Without getting too deep into the chemistry, most modern beers, like lagers, are made with bottom fermenting yeast at cooler temperatures. Modern ale, on the other hand, uses top fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures.

This gives it a complex, more aromatic taste. An English medieval brewer, however, probably wouldn't approve. You call that an ale? We haven't quite finished with medieval times. Before we move on, let's take a look at the role of monasteries. In Europe, beer was initially brewed at home, before gradually developing into a large-scale commercial enterprise. But from the early Middle Ages onwards, monasteries across Europe were also producing beer,

disliked as a way to make money and to offer hospitality to guests. But it slowly developed into a true industry, with monks helping to standardise beer production, and improve the quality. Some monasteries produced beer on an impressive scale. A monastery in Nuremberg, Germany, produced 300,000 litres in a year. As well as selling it, monks also drank the beer themselves. It was tasty and filling,

and it could still be drunk at Lent while they were fasting. Some monks would drink several liters of beer per day. There are a number of reasons why monastic brewing decline. In part, it can be explained by the rise of secular breweries and by the gradual decline of monasteries. From the 16th century onwards, Protestantism and secular movements led to the dissolution of many European monasteries. Still, some survived, and some still may still make

beer. Today, there are several Trappist monasteries, most of which are based in Belgium. They produce richly flavored, top fermented beers. But while beer aficionados are primarily interested in the taste and tradition of monastic brews, for the monks themselves, there's another important factor. Throughout history, many monks have seen their work as a spiritual practice, a way to serve others and support the monastery. The next part of our story takes us back to 18th century Britain. As you may recall, by this point, the resistance to hops had disappeared, and British ale was typically hopped. One variety was known as hail ale. It had a lighter colour than other ales,

as it was made from a different kind of malt. By the late 18th century, the British controlled much of India. There was a significant colonial presence and a demand for British-style beer. So, breweries in Britain began to export a specific kind of beer, a heavily hopped pale ale, which could survive the six-month journey to India.

The higher hop content of this kind of pale ale gave it a stronger taste, one that people likely found pleasant and refreshing, especially in the Indian heat. It was also a little more alcoholic. This beverage later came to be known as India Pale Ale, or IPA. Its popularity spread from India back to Britain. In the late 19th century, however, IPA started to fall out of fashion as tastes changed and new styles emerged. When India Pale Ale next became popular in the late 1970s, the revival took place in another part of the world. The United States. Before we get to the craft beer movement of the 70s and 80s, we need to go back a bit.

It seems that brewing was brought to North America by European settlers from the late 16th century onwards. In 1632, a brewery was built by the Dutch West India Company in Lower Manhattan, the birthplace of New York City. It was the first commercial brewery in North America. Many of the early settlers were from England or the Netherlands. They brought their brewing traditions with them and helped to establish a strong beer culture in North America. The 19th century was a time of rapid change. In Europe and the United States, industrialization helped to revolutionize the beer industry, making mass production possible.

There were also innovations in the brewing process, making it easier to produce high-quality beer. One of the most important contributions came from the French chemist Louis Pasteur. He was the first person to truly understand the process of fermentation. Pasteur realized that spoilage could be avoided if beverages like milk and beer were heated to a certain temperature. In the 1860s, he developed the method we now know as pasteurization. pasteurizing beer kills bacteria and extends shelf life. To this day, most commercial beer is pasteurized. Another revolution in the beer industry took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In 1912, the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company began to use brown bottles for their beer instead of clear bottles. The problem with clear glass is that it doesn't offer protection from sunlight. UV rays react with the acids in hops, ruining the taste and smell of the beer. This is known as skunking. Brown glass, on the other hand, helps to keep beer fresh. While Schlitz wasn't the first brewery to use brown bottles, it was influential. and helped to popularize them. Other brewers took note, and brown or green bottles soon became the industry standard. When beer was first introduced to North America, during the colonial period,

many people were drinking English-style ales. But at some point in the 19th century, Americans began to develop a taste for lager. Lager is brewed, conditioned, and stored at low temperatures. The word lager comes from the German lagen, meaning to store. This is a reference to the cool storage areas, such as caves, where the beer was traditionally kept before it was drunk. Before the invention of refrigeration, people had to get creative with beer storage. In Germany, cellars were dug and filled with ice to keep the beer from. During the 19th century, Germans emigrated to the United States in huge numbers. This likely explains why Lager-style beer became popular around this time.

Lager had practical advantages. Due to the way it was brewed and stored, it was a long-lasting beer. It was well suited to large-scale production and distribution, making it more profitable. Lager also tasted good, crisp and refreshing. As breweries across the US began to produce lager, the drinks were initially based on European traditions. Pilsner, for example, is a pale lager with Czech origins. But as we've seen, American breweries also came up with their own innovations, from brown bottles to the brewing process itself. Budweiser was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1876 by the German-born businessman Adolphus Bush. It pioneered the use of

mechanical refrigeration and pasteurization. Through technical innovation and marketing, Budweiser grew into one of the most popular American beers of the 20th century. The history of beer takes an interesting turn with prohibition. In 1920, it became illegal to make, sell or transport alcoholic beverages in the United States. This had a devastating effect on breweries. Before Prohibition, there was a. were around 1,300 breweries in the US. But by the time Prohibition ended, in 1933, only a handful had survived. As they couldn't make beer, enterprising breweries managed to stay in business

by producing other goods, such as ice cream, soft drinks, and malt extract. Prohibition also led to a change in drinking habits. Home Brewers. brewing a good beer was challenging, but it was relatively easy to make hard liquor, so-called bathtub gin and moonshine. Also, unlike beer, liquor didn't need to be refrigerated, and for bootleggers, liquor was also much more profitable. While many Americans continued to drink illegally during the years of prohibition, there was a significant decline in beer concerns. After the end of prohibition, breweries bounced back fairly quickly. Surprisingly, perhaps, the Second World War also contributed to the growth of the American beer industry.

Rather than restricting access to alcohol, the US government decided that beer was a good morale booster. Brewers were ordered to set aside 15% of their production for military use. During decades of temperance and prohibition, the American beer industry had suffered in terms of both reputation and sales. But now, things began to look brighter. Brewers could promote beer as something wholesome and patriotic. A 1942 advert, produced by the American brewing industry, has the headline, morale is a lot of little things. Here's an extract.

It happens that millions of Americans attach a special value to their right to enjoy a refreshing glass of beer, in the company of good friends, with wholesome American food, as a beverage of moderation after a good day's work. Beer drinking became packaged as part of the American identity. And ever since the end of Prohibition in the 1930s, beer has dominated the American alcohol market.

The 1970s saw another revolution in the beer industry in both the United States and the United Kingdom, the microbrewery movement. As we've seen, home brewing has a lot of, long history. But it wasn't until the 1970s that microbreweries and craft beer began to take off. In 1976, a brewer named Jack McCalliffe opened what many consider to be the first American microbrewery, the new Albion Brewing Company in California. This small, independent brewery, produced pale ale, porter, and stout.

While it only stayed in business for a few years, it inspired other brewers across the country. In 1978, home brewing was legalized in the US, and others were encouraged to experiment and start their own small businesses. The beer they produced came to be known as craft beer, in part to brewers on the west coast of the United States, India Pale Ale. Around the same time, microbreweries were also opening up across the UK. One of the first was Truqueor House brewery in Scotland,

which began producing traditional ales in 1965. The microbrewery movement can also be seen as a reaction to the commercial beer industry. Some brewers were disillusioned with mass-produced beer, believing it lacked variety and character. So they focused on their own businesses, producing high-quality beer on a smaller scale. Some focused on reviving traditional brews like car. The campaign for real ale or camera was founded in 1971. It played a huge part in preserving traditional beers in the UK

and also helped to raise public awareness of pubs and breweries. For instance, members of camera would stage mock funerals to protest the closure of breweries. The rise in microbreweries and craft beer led to a growing interest in beer in general. It came to be appreciated as an artist. artisanal product, like wine. There are now many beer sommeliers, trained professionals with a specialised knowledge of beer. And today, in addition to the major commercial breweries,

there are thousands of independent breweries across the world. Some brewers are still trying to bring back historic styles of beer. I remember that earlier we mentioned Grootz, the herb mixture, commonly used in European beers before hops became widespread. While modern Groot Beer isn't quite the same, it's an example of how brewers are trying to keep history alive. Collectively, we've amassed a huge amount of knowledge about beer and created so many unique traditions. It makes sense to preserve them.

This is an effort that's being spearheaded by women, as well as men. While brewing is a male-dominated industry, female brewers never went away. They were there at the beginning, pioneering the industry, and they continue to play an important part. These days, beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world. China drinks the most, but per capita, the Czech Republic is the biggest consumer. Beer is a drink with a global history. As we've seen, it has roots in many different cultures. And each one has played a part in its creation. The female brewers of Mesopotamia, the monks of medieval Europe, and the founders of the first microbreweries in the US.

In many parts of the world, beer has become deeply ingrained in the local culture. It accompanies meals and sports matches. It's a social ritual in itself. We might easily take beer for granted, as if it's always been there. And in a way, it has.