The history tag has no usage guidance.
2
votes
1answer
49 views
Are there any historical cases where actual POWs made some form of alcohol while being held in a POW camp?
Are there any historical cases where actual POWs made some form of alcohol while being held prisoner by belligerent forces in a POW camp?
While watching the classic movie The Great Escape (1963), I ...
6
votes
2answers
76 views
Is there a modern wine that is designed to resemble Noah's wine?
After seeing this question once again on this site (Is there a modern wine that is designed to resemble ancient Roman winemaking?) sometime back and I became interested in knowing if there is a modern ...
5
votes
3answers
157 views
Can wine be made from all edible fruits?
I am an amateur in the topic, so I was wondering, can all edible fruits be turned into a fruit wine? Why have grapes historically become the main fruit for wine making over other fruits?
4
votes
1answer
107 views
What wine did people drink during the Roman empire?
What was the wine like that people drank during the times of the Roman empire? How alcoholic was it? I heard they diluted their wine with water, but why would they do that?
6
votes
1answer
219 views
When and why did wineries start diluting wine?
Commercial wineries sometimes (often?) dilute the grape juice with water before fermentation. This is done (according to that page) because the grapes have too much sugar and can kill off the yeast ...
7
votes
1answer
171 views
When, where and why did the tradition of clinking glasses and saying “cheers” or “to your health” first start?
Is it possible to know where, when and how the custom of clinking glasses (usually filled with beer or wine) originated, while saying "cheers" or "to your health"? Do any historical documents support ...
2
votes
2answers
173 views
Has alcoholism increased? [closed]
Has alcoholism increased since prohibition days? I've seen the sales outlets for alcohol availability rise since the days of the state liquor stores.
I checked the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse ...
2
votes
3answers
198 views
Other than beer are there any fictional drinks that eventually became real?
While reading this question (What other beer brands began as fictional but eventually became real?), I became interested in knowing if there are any fictional alcoholic drinks other than beer that ...
1
vote
0answers
99 views
When and how was the Estonian cocktail the Hammer and Sickle invented?
I know it's made from 1/4 Vana Tallinn and 3/4 Sparkling Wine (or Champaign) but I've spent ages trying to find out where and how it started. Does anyone claim to have invented it? What is the ...
3
votes
4answers
262 views
What was the most common hard liquor of the Late Middle Ages?
Is it possible to know what was the most common hard liquor of the Late Middle Ages?
I am not asking for the strongest drink in the Middle Ages, but which hard liquor was the most common during the ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
What beers or other drinks did Native Indians brew in the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans in 1492?
What beers and other drinks did Native Indians brew in the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans, with Christopher Columbus in 1492? The fact that alcohol was unknown in the Americas is only a ...
2
votes
1answer
57 views
What drinks can be paired to a particular legend or myth?
What drinks can be paired to a particular legend or myth?
We all know that that many people drink to the legendary person of St Patrick. But what I am interested in is in knowing if there are any ...
7
votes
2answers
803 views
What is the strongest alcoholic drink that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe?
What is the strongest alcoholic drink that was drank within the European nations during the Middle Ages (5th to the 15th century)?
4
votes
1answer
92 views
How prominent were drinking (alcohol) establishments in the Middle Ages?
I am interested in knowing how popular were drinking establishments (or more commonly known as taverns) in Europe during the Middle Ages (5th-15th century)?
Did they exist during the entire Middle ...
19
votes
3answers
2k views
Strong drink at the time of St John the Baptist
For those who are familiar with the New Testament, we know the St John the Baptist never drank wine or strong drink.
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor ...
7
votes
1answer
221 views
Do wines from grafted vine stock taste different from non-grafted?
The Phylloxera plague of the 19th century devastated the grape stocks of Europe. However, Charles Valentine Riley and J. E. Planchon grafted the vines (Vitis vinifera) onto rootstock of an American ...
7
votes
0answers
88 views
Japanese beers historic evolution
I read yet this on Wikipedia and some small articles.
The articles didn't satisfy my curiosity.
My question is:
What is the history of brewing in Japan?
Please, take in mind following sub-...
7
votes
1answer
227 views
What are some of the historical ways that people have employed to conceal alcohol on their person?
What are some of the historical ways that people have employed to conceal alcohol on their person?
We have all heard of the prohibition of 1920 to 1933 in the United States and other countries. How ...
8
votes
1answer
122 views
Who made or makes spirits from poisonous Heracleum?
Heracleum or cow parsnips are high-latitude plants that can produce severe inflammation in humans. They seem like the last thing someone would want to ingest. However:
Flora on Kamchatka: flowers and ...
14
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4answers
364 views
Has Prohibition ever worked?
Historically, is there any case in which prohibition of alcohol has actually dissuaded its consumption?
It failed miserably in the United States, for example...
7
votes
2answers
184 views
Is the saying true that drinking absinthe drives a person insane?
Absinthe has been said to cause insanity, permanent brain-damage and/or hallucinatory state.
Is this accurate?
7
votes
1answer
155 views
Traditional drinks for celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany?
Most places celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.
Are there any local, traditional drinks that exist that people have as a way celebrating this feast in a local and traditional manner?
...
6
votes
9answers
454 views
Does anyone here still use bitters as medicine? Which ones do you use and for what ailments?
Bitters are known to have medicinal qualities.
I've never used them beyond making killer cocktails... But, I've noticed that orange bitters, in particular, will imbue me with an added vigor or gusto, ...
4
votes
2answers
480 views
Burned volume to alcohol percentage
In ancient Russia the way to measure "proper" strong spirits was to burn it - if the volume decreased by half than it was considered right one. How can I convert this into modern days alcohol ...
5
votes
2answers
454 views
The King's Shilling
I recently purchased a new pewter Tankard with a glass bottom and a silver shilling encased between the two bits of glass.
After a little bit of research, I discovered that this was one of the ways ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the difference between historical beer and 'modern' beer?
This question might be a bit broad, but what I'm trying to understand is generally how the brewing process and the subsequent end result differed before the early-modern to modern era.
I had asked a ...
10
votes
1answer
171 views
When the Trappist foundation was founded in 1997, were there breweries which didn't get the label although they succeeded to the conditions?
So from a previous question I learned that the Trappist foundation was founded in 1997 by 6 Belgian breweries one from the Netherlands and one from Germany. But were there other breweries which ...
5
votes
3answers
288 views
Why are there so few “real” trappists and why are six from them from belgium
I was wondering why there are so few trappists and how is it that from the eleven trappists 6 of them are from Belgium. Why aren't the breweries more spread over the world? Does it have something do ...
1
vote
1answer
219 views
Beer that's slightly out of date [duplicate]
I've got a case of beer, which is Rivet Beer. Each can is 330 mL, & 4.7%/1.2 standard drinks. They ran out of date on 13 November 2015, & it's been in a cupboard the entire time, room ...
8
votes
2answers
650 views
Did Henry VIII really outlaw hops?
I recently read Stephen Buhner's "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers" wherein he claimed that hops were a fairly new way to bitter beer in the renaissance and that in England Henry VIII outlawed them. ...
4
votes
3answers
275 views
Was beer conceived to be a bitter drink?
In all the years of my life (except when I was a minor), I've never tasted beer that's not bitter. So was beer conceived to be a bitter drink? What factors in the bitter taste of beer?
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Why do France and Italy have so much lower beer consumption than their neighbors?
Consider the map of per capita beer consumption by county from Wikipedia:
Zooming in on Europe, something that jumps out is that France and Italy consume much less beer than their neighbors:
What ...
4
votes
1answer
266 views
Why and when did the interest for micro breweries and craft beers arise?
During the past couple of years, the variety of beers found in supermarkets in Germany has vastly increased.
There is a number of beers that I remember having always been there, and a few have been ...
5
votes
1answer
176 views
Is it true that Rodenbach beer should be drank with a shot of cherry liquor?
I was in Libramont back when I was roaming around Belgium. And hitting a pub next to station where people were having lunch, I ordered a Rodenbach beer (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/216/...
3
votes
1answer
225 views
Beer Rating Acronyms and their Origins
We often see the following acronym on beeradvocate or ratebeer
ATMOS: Appearance, Smell, Taste, Mouthfeel, Overall
LSTFO: Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, Overall
Where do these acronyms come from? What ...
15
votes
8answers
615 views
What other beer brands began as fictional but eventually became real?
Duff is the only one of which I am aware. I know there are Game of Thrones inspired brews, but are there any others that originated from works of fiction?
2
votes
1answer
156 views
Who made commercialization of beer possible
Who was the person or company that made beer selling commercial .
4
votes
1answer
687 views
Why were lagers invented?
What made brewers in the 19th century decide to start using bottom-fermenting yeast and cooler fermenting temperatures? Were they trying to solve some specific problem, like making the best of ...
2
votes
3answers
132 views
Is there a history of Beer? [closed]
I was wondering if there is any definitive history of beer. I know that the ancient Egyptians brewed beer and it has been consumed throughout the centuries but I'd like to know the times and cultures ...
4
votes
3answers
569 views
Which is the most expensive beer as of now?
As of the time this question being asked, which is the most expensive beer in the world?
Is it available now?
Is/was it available for purchase for general public?
What is/was its price?
5
votes
4answers
915 views
Why does Belgium have such a rich and profound brewing culture?
I discovered craft beers some years ago, but I've been always been amazed by Belgian brewing culture, which is so different from German and Great Britain traditions.
Why is it that beer has such ...
3
votes
3answers
866 views
What type of beer did the pilgrims have?
What type of beer would the pilgrims have had access to in the early 1600's, and if they did have beer, would it be a good pairing with turkey?
5
votes
3answers
4k views
Who invented beer and when? [duplicate]
It is known who invented the beer? And when was beer invented?
Links:
History of Beer at Wikipedia
When was the first beer ever brewed?
9
votes
1answer
242 views
“Green Schlitz” myth: Was the beer green, or the flakes?
I am editing an academic economics paper (I'm a grad student), and I ran across the following line:
Schlitz changed preservatives, which led to green flakes in the beer.
The paper references an ...
4
votes
4answers
349 views
What is the definition of Beer or the Beer “family” of drinks
I was picked up by someone on another SE site (unrelated) when I used the phrase "Some beers, like mead...(blah blah)" - Apparently a mead isn't a beer. I'm good with that in the pedantic sense that ...
10
votes
2answers
855 views
'X' marks to indicate quality?
The iconic mass-produced lager in Queensland, Australia, is XXXX (pronounced FourEx). On their label, they tell a story about how historically beers were marked with a number of Xs to indicate their ...
11
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the difference between Trappist beer and Abbey Beer?
Abbaye Bier (Abbey Beer) refer to monastic beer brewed by monks. And there is almost Trappist beer brewed by monks but specifically from Trappist monasteries.
But what is the difference in terms of ...
17
votes
4answers
7k views
Why is it a Ginger “Beer” and not a Ginger “Cider”?
It seems that Ginger Beer has no barley, no hops, no wort, no malted anything; so why is it a "beer"? Seems like it is closer to a cider.
11
votes
2answers
7k views
When and where did shandies first become popular and why do they get such a bad reputation?
I was recently at a local craft beer festival and I tried a few shandies (my favorite was Time Traveler) and now I'm starting to get into them as well. But I've heard mixed things about their history. ...
24
votes
7answers
5k views
What is the strongest beer?
I've always wondered what the strongest beer in the world is and how would taste.
Are there reliable historical records of a very strong beer? What would be the highest % alcohol that's Brewable for ...
