A Hobbled History of Beer: Introduction by Cub Lea Last updated 09/00

Intro | Prehistory | -200AD | 200-1000AD | 1000-1400AD | 1400-1599AD | 1600s | 1700s | 1800s | 1900s | Canada

The role of beer in history is often downplayed by teachers and historians. Could it be the bad rap beer has as the alcoholic drink of the working class? Wine certainly never got such a bad rap. Perhaps it's just a Northern European thing...after all, where grapes would grow, few would bother with beer, and wine certainly doesn't lack for coverage in song and story. But as you're about to learn, not only was beer integral to some of the most important developments in the history of civilization, it might well have been the driving force behind civilization itself.

As you browse, please keep in mind that while I've done the best we can to make these pages as accurate as I could, this is presented as entertainment, not as authoritative reference. There are many points of debate regarding the importance of particular events, specific dates, and the accuracy of some facts and legends.

I pulled this material from a variety of sources, most reputable, but some questionable. When using this as source material for school projects, barroom one-upmanship and other intellectual endeavors, I strongly recommend that you qualify the material just as accurately as I have here. While there are few things in life more fun than being responsible for the wildfire spread of a falsehood, there are few things in life less fun than getting caught doing it.