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What Role Did Beer Play In Global Commerce

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While water is the most plentiful and the most needed liquid in the world, there are a few that stand out as having just as large of an impact. Beer, wine, spirits, coffee and tea have all played a role in global commerce, but their role in the development of civilization, culture and social status, are perhaps the largest reasons for each of their popularity.
From the beginning, beer was a social drink, as people shared beer communally from one container. Beer's intoxicating quality made it seem magical to its early drinkers. The early people thought beer to be a gift from the gods, and used it in many religious ceremonies. Beer was referenced in early literature as well: “That beer drinking was considered a hallmark of civilization by the …show more content…

One outcome of the cereal grain surplus in the Zagros Mountains of what is today's Armenia and Iran, the presence of wild Eurasian grapes and the invention of pottery was wine production. As the taste for wine spread, so did small-scale production in early nations, so the rich could drink this new and flavorsome drink. In ancient Greece, wine drinking was most popular at the Symposia, which were venues for competitive ideological discussions and wine drinking. “The formal, intellectual atmosphere of the symposium also reminded the Greeks how civilized they were, in contrast to the barbarians, who either drank lowly, unsophisticated beer or—even worse—drank wine but failed to do so in a manner that met with Greek approval” (Standage 52). Because the Greeks believed that only the wine god could safely drink pure wine, they mixed it with water. Wine and water also were mixed to make sure drinkers did not overindulge. In the Roman society, wine was a symbol of power and elitism. Everyone drank wine, but the social divisions in their society had the rich citizens get the best wines and the slaves get the worst ones, with other members of society getting wines of an in-between quality. Wine continued to be popular in Europe, after the collapse of Rome due to wine’s importance in religious rituals. “One example of continuity was the widespread survival of Mediterranean wine-drinking culture, which was deep-rooted enough to survive the passing of its Greek and Roman parents” (Standage

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A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage, discusses the influence of various drinks on certain events and throughout the course of history. The drinks we read about in this book are beer, wine, spirits, tea and (from the epilogue) water. The overall purpose of this book is to explain and prove that each of these drinks had a profound effect on the world. Tom Standage is a digital editor and an author who wrote a plethora of books on an array of events and times throughout history. That being said, Standage’s work can be trusted and recommended as he is a qualified writer.

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However, when beer was discovered it became moderately prevalent and a necessity to some degree. It was used in religious formalities as it was thought to be a gift from the Gods. It was used for social collaborations as well. In order to keep up with its high request, hunter-gatherers had to deliberately farm. One of the key reasons for its popularity was its ability to be stored which was Unlike anything they’ve ever seen before as the ability of previous food sources were not up to that level of technologies for the storage of the grain.

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Beer: Beer was not particularly an invention, Standage says, it was more so a discovery, when it came about in the Mesopotamia society around 3400 BCE. Water was the only beverage the Mesopotamians ever knew, until they came upon a new drink derived from barley, wheat, and cereal grains. Beer had become the staple beverage of the earliest civilizations. Both rich and poor people consumed beer.

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page 905-906). Humans did this because without the water it was way too strong. Odysseus gave the cyclops the wine as an apology for breaking into his house, Odysseus hand the cyclops the bowl of wine saying if was from Nobody. The cyclops then drank the bowl of wine and asked for another one. The cyclops drank another one.

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Journal #1. Page 19- “Since beer was a gift from the gods, it was also the logical thing to present as a religious offering.” Response - Beer was used in ceremonies such as religious, agricultural, funerals, etc. The religious meaning of beer has a longer timeline than the Sumerians and the Egyptians.

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This book reveals to us how beer and wine were used for cultural, social, political, and even medical purposes. Finally, Standage shows us how civilizations grew by the spreading of beer and wine, and how the spreading of these drinks spread culture around the world. To Standage beer and wine is a technology that played huge role in the developing and advancing civilization. In the introduction, Standage states that throughout history various drinks have/had such high significance

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However, even in the ancient times people disapproved of beer. Although egyptians enjoyed beer there was a strong disapproval of drunkenness. Scribes would publish rules or guidelines with titles such as "Take not upon thyself to drink a jug of beer…" This shows the politics behind drinking beer. You were expected to drink beer as it was a symbol of prosperity but you weren 't supposed to become intoxicated.

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Each drink is still relevant in today 's world therefore allowing the audience to relate back to the earliest of times using drinks that are still a part of our daily lives. By using something so ordinary to teach something as remarkable as the history of our world, Standage displays his creativity as an author through this book. The book begins in ancient Mesopotamia, during the neolithic revolution, when the first civilizations developed. Beer was discovered

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Working people were often paid in beer. Water, which was made people sick due to the contents in it, was replaced with beer as a healthier option. Standage argues that beer was the start of social civilization in that it was

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Around this time, each person was consuming tremendous amounts of alcohol. The consumption of alcohol was considered a sin and in order to stop this

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Chloe Desgroseillier Mrs. Fox World History 103 March 25, 2023 A History of the World in Six Glasses Book Précis Throughout the world’s history, as water was not commonly a healthy option, other drinks shaped civilizations socially, economically, politically, and industrially and helped further develop the world into what it is today. These specialized drinks were beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. Beer was the first beverage to become a central part of early civilization, majorly contributing to its spread and growth of the population and economy. Wine brought people together in symposiums and helped define social status in the Roman world, it started a new tradition of conversation and dinner parties that have carried on

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According to the text A History of the World in 6 Glasses, the history of beer is linked to the growth of the first civilization due to the discovery of a property in cereal grains, a major ingredient in beer, that allowed them to be stored; in order to have accesses to the cereal grains needed for the production of beer, the hunter-gathers decided to stay in their place, the Fertile Crescent, hence the start of a civilization. The cereal grains and crops were plenteous throughout the Fertile Crescent; therefore, the families inhabiting the land were able to gather great quantiles of grain. Because the families didn’t want leave their harvested grains unattended and they wanted to ensure they didn’t miss the proper time to harvest the grains for future seasons. they established permanent settlements. When the hunter-gathers ran out of foodstuff, they used the cereal grains to make a thin broth known as gruel.

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Beer was an amazing discovery that changed the course of history forever. It was used for religious ceremonies, as a source of currency, and it had many other uses through the course of ancient and modern history. When exactly beer was first discovered is not

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Alcohol was also used as a payment for the natives. In “Historical and Cultural Roots of Drinking Problems Among American Indians,” the author wrote, “…Some native peoples were conditioned by early practices to receive alcohol as payment and therefore consider it a marker if economic success.” (Frank, Moore, and Ames, 348). Indigenous people were basically being handed poison and they saw it as rewards and they left consuming it. They were harming their

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