Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grains—most commonly maltedbarley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer.[1] Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world,[2][3][4] the most widely consumed,[5] and the third most popular drink after water and tea.[6](p 1) Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.[7]
Some of the earliest writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it,[8] and "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.[9][10]
Beer is distributed in bottles and cans and is also commonly available on draught, particularly in pubs and bars. 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 strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).[11]
^Barth, Roger (2013). The Chemistry of Beer: The Science in the suds. Wiley. ISBN978-1-118-67497-0.
^Rudgley, Richard (1993). The Alchemy of Culture: Intoxicants in society. London, UK: British Museum Press. ISBN978-0714117362.
^Arnold, John P. (2005). Origin and History of Beer and Brewing: From prehistoric times to the beginning of brewing science and technology (reprint ed.). Cleveland, OH: BeerBooks. ISBN978-0-9662084-1-2.
^Black, Jeremy A.; Cunningham, Graham; Robson, Eleanor (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-926311-0.