Alcohol Trivia: 7 surprising things you probably didn't know about beer

Beer brands may vary from one location to the next, but there are several universal truths about this alcoholic beverage.

Ranking as one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages, beer is a hot favourite amongst many alcohol lovers.

More often than not though, available beer options and brands often vary from one location to the next.

Regardless however, there are several universal truths about beer across the world.

Here are 7 things you probably didn't know about beer.

 

1. President Obama brews his own beer: According to the White House blog, President Obama is the first US president to ever brew beer on White House grounds. Also noteworthy is the fact that the beers, the White House Honey Porter and the White House Honey Ale include honey from bee-hives also grown at the White House.

2. The oldest known beer recipe is over 4,000 years old: A clay tablet in the British museum, dating back to 3100-3000 BC in Mesopotamia, shows the allocation of beer. Archaeologists also claim that Egyptian pyramid workers were paid with beer.

3. Women were the first professional brewers: According to The Atlantic, beer was traditionally brewed by women in ancient Egypt. But as the economy transitioned from agriculture-based to industry-based, beer became commercial, brewed and sold mainly by men.

4.  Beer was once consumed hot: There's a reason why hot beer is recommended for a running stomach. Warm, malty beverages were in the 17th century recommended as "healthful" and folks were cautioned against cold beer. According to The Atlantic, Warm ale provided heat and could even replace a meal.

5. Exposure to light makes beer go bad:  Beer is flavored with hops and when exposed to light they produce a compound that stinks "just like a skunk". thus the reason why many beer bottles are brown, which prevents the process from happening.

6. Beer could be good for the bones: According to a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "moderate consumption of alcohol may be beneficial to bone in men and postmenopausal women."

7. There is a university course dedicated to the study of beer: Want to learn all about beer? Zythology defined as "the study of beer and beer-making, including the role particular ingredients play in the brewing process,"  is a course to consider.