Each year more and more studies are being done on the health benefits of beer. While red wine drinkers have been bragging for some time about the benefits of their choice of alcohol, it now seems that beer drinkers will finally get their turn in the spotlight. It is now proven that moderate alcohol consumption is good for heart health, no matter whether you drink beer or wine.

 The good news is that moderately consuming alcohol is beneficial for your heart. Moderate drinkers lessen their risk of heart attacks and heart disease, compared to people who don’t drink at all or those who are heavy drinkers. For equal amounts of alcohol, beer has double the antioxidants of white wine, and the antioxidants may be able to be absorbed by the body quicker than those of red wine. Beer contains neither fat nor cholesterol.

Moderate consumption of alcohol is defined as two drinks a day for men and one drink each day for women. Moderate drinkers lowered their risk of heart disease by from between thirty and sixty percent even those who were considered high risk because of a previous heart attack, heart disease, or diabetes. In other studies, beer helped people build bone mass. This is thought to be because of beer’s silicon content.

Beer contains large amounts of antioxidants which prevent cell damage that leads to certain cancers and heart disease. The antioxidants come from the hops and malt used in beer brewing. Other antioxidants, known as polyphenols, which are also found in vegetables, fruits, black and green teas, and wine, are present in beer as well. 

In another study that lasted for twelve years, both light and moderate use of beer lowered the risk of diabetes by thirty-six percent. Consuming beer at moderate levels is connected to a reduction in insulin resistance. 

In addition, moderate beer consumption is connected to an improvement in memory and thinking abilities. It is hoped that this improvement can help protect people from ischemic stroke, which is responsible for eighty-percent of all stoke cases. It is also possible that the same levels of moderate drinking can help protect us from Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia.

One study conducted at the University of Wisconsin found that these benefits associated with moderate beer consumption, were more present in dark beers than light beers. Guinness stout, for example, has very high levels of flavonoids. These flavonoids were also present in a number of fruits and vegetables but not as much in lighter beers. Guinness stout lowered bad cholesterol levels, and was twice as effective as Heineken, a lighter beer in lowering substances connected to clogged arteries.

While many people have believed for years that beer was as effective as wine in its many health benefits, now these theories are being proven by scientific fact. But while these benefits are tied to moderate consumption of alcohol, they are not tired to over consumption. That means that drinking twice as much is not twice as good for you.

For more info go to www.EuropesBestBeer.com

WatchMojo.com takes a look at the history of the American Brewing Industry.

One of the various things the German people are famous for is beer. With more than thirteen-hundred various breweries spread across the country, beer is a crucial piece of their culture and ancestry. The Czechs and the Irish are the only nations above the Germans as far as beer drinking per capita. The monks started to experiment with brewing around one-thousand A.D.  back in the beginning of German history Eventually, brewing started to become very profitable for the monks and the country’s leaders started to regulate the production of the beer. The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or purity requirement, was written in fifteen-sixteen and remains the most prominent and significant factor to effect Germanic brewing.

The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was ordered by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to  ensure that Bavarian beers were made of the highest quality. The regulation states that beers should only consist of barley, hops, and water. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation put on food in the world and has not been changed in nearly five-hundred years. Yeast is the only augmentation to the list of vital ingredients in the act. Yeast that was naturally in the air was what manufacturers before used. Bavarian breweries were soon known as the best producers of beer because of the strict standard of quality followed by the purity standard. As the notoriety of the Bavarian breweries spread across the nation other producers began to follow the proclamation also.

German beers have a long-standing notoriety of making quality beers made only from the best ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. As time passed and Germany began to export beer, a lot of cities became famed brewing locations. The city of Bremen had over 600 breweries  by fifteen-hundred and was the leading exporter of beer to Holland, Scandinavia, England, and even as far as India. Einbeck and Braunschweig were two more famous brewing towns. In modern-day Germany, most of the nation’s beer-drinking people still prefer fabbier, or draught beer, over bottle beer because of it’s robust taste and right amount of  foam. In an attempt to curtail further outbreaks of the bubonic plague German beer steins became popular about the time the purity requirement came out and are still in use today.

During the time of the black plague, Germany started several regulations to stop its people from becoming ill. Large amounts of infected flies would fly in people’s food and spread the infection. This led to the stein, a drink holder with a closed top that could be operated with the thumb so a person could stop disease and still be able to drink with their free hand. Beer consumption rose exponentially as people began to realize the disease spread in unsanitary conditions with stagnant pools of water. Originally crafted from stoneware with pewter tops, steins grew in popularity. As the pewter guild grew, steins began to be made completely of pewter and stayed that way for over three-hundred years. Still produced today, silver and porcelain steins were eventually introduced.

Today there are over thirteen-hundred and fifty breweries within Germany’s lands that make over five-thousand brands of beer. The oldest beer maker in the world still in operation in the present is the Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, that has been making beer since 1040. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. Most beers can be placed by ales and lagers but German beer makers produce a large variety of flavors. Some types of beer can have an alcoholic content as high as 12%, making them stronger than most wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content  from 4.7% to 5.4%.

For any person who enjoys a good jar of beer there is a special place in Old Havana, and I might say that it’s definitely a “must” for every visitor who comes to Havana city in their Cuba vacations. La Muralla Tavern has become a great spot for those who stroll through the beautiful squares of the Historic Centre of the Cuban capitol and want to take a cool drink in the hot and humid seasons of this Caribbean island. Set in a corner of the lovely Plaza Vieja, this tavern has tables outside and is a fantastic place to try micro-brewed beers and listen to live bands. Those looking for draught beers in Havana, this is the place to be.

But why this place is so special anyway? Well this is the only micro-brewery to be found in Havana! The brewery is well worth a visit, because it serves delicious home-brewed beer and tasty meals in its barbeque, set within a beautiful 18th century building with plenty of outdoor seating to watch the world go by.

As many people say, this is where you’ll get the best beer in town! Two kinds (light and dark) of this exquisite drink are made in the mini-brewery’s vats, using raw materials from Austria. The Austrian firm Salm and the Cuban Habaguanex have come together to open this unique tavern in June 2003.

Plus, the place is a factory and museum where curious objects linked to the world of beer consume are exposed. In the back of the tavern you can also visit the brewery installations. So make sure you learn about beer-making in your visit.

Looking for a quick bite? You can stop for a bite to eat in this bohemian tavern as well. They have an outdoor barbeque that serves delicious grilled skewers of shrimp, lobster, pork, chicken and chorizo sausage. If you are feeling hungry after drinking you can choose from among hamburgers and sandwiches too. I highly recommend to sit on the patio under the stars, where the atmosphere is wonderful, there is great live music, and you can truly appreciate what a magnificent job has been of restoring the area to its original colonial splendor. Or, if you prefer more intimacy, you can choose the cozy air-conditioned tavern, with special offers. One hour after the 9pm cannon-shooting ceremony, visitors can enjoy a bowl of typical Cuban “ajiaco” on the house.

Sitting in the precious inner yard to drink a few cool jars is quite pleasing as well. There are two roosters and a lavish vegetation that gives a beautiful touch to the decoration. You can even admire the paintings of famous Cuban contemporary artists like Kcho and Nelson Domínguez. at the walls of the tavern. Moreover, an ancient automobile (a Ford of 1913) that served to transport beer barrels is nowadays the principal attraction for children, who likes to get in and play.

The tavern could not have asked for a better location than Plaza Vieja, where it is so pleasant to have a drink while observing the moving multitude outside. So, if you are planning to visit Old Havana make sure to drink a cool jar of home-brewed beer at La Muralla Tavern and enjoy the beer-making show!

Beers normally undergo pasteurization to ensure longer shelf life and uniformity.

Craft brewery, also called micro brewery, generally means a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer. In the U.S.A, the “Brewers Association” use a fixed maximum limit of 15,000 US beer barrels (1,800,000 l; 460,000 US gal; 390,000 imp gal) a year to define microbrewery. An American “craft brewery” is a small, independent and traditional brewery.

Craft Beer (produced from a Craft Brewery or Micro Brewery) is an American term which is also common in Canada and New Zealand and generally refers to beer that is brewed using traditional methods, without additives such as rice or corn; brewed for distinction and flavor rather than mass appeal. In the early 1980s, with just a dozen or so national brands of beer to choose from, microbrewers were established in the U.S. so as to offer the full-flavored beers available in Europe. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s, however, that these craft brewers started gaining real momentum. According to the Institute for Brewing Studies, there are now nearly 1500 microbreweries and brewpubs that produce 3% of all the beer consumed in America. By the late 1990s, certified organic beers started appearing on the shelves nationally. Craft beers uses the best quality malts and hops. Take the case of the Czech pilsner, now the most common style of beer brewed worldwide. Craft brewers follow the course of their European ancestors, making all-malt pilsners with a full-bodied flavor and generous helpings of hops. Because of the increased percentage of specialty malt and hop ingredients you are going to experience flavors and aromas not found in light Industrial style lagers.

Craft beer means natural beer brewed in a non-automated brewery of less than 50-barrel brew length, using traditional methods and premium, whole, natural ingredients, and no flavor-lessening adjuncts or extracts, additives or preservatives.

There is a resurgence of appreciation for craft beers in many countries of the world as a product of fine craft, like wine. In general almost all mainstream commercial and mass-produced beers (Budweiser, Coors, Miller), except for some keg beer or draught beer, is pasteurized. The list below shows list of craft beers that have confirmed that they don’t pasteurize their beers, either their bottled beers or keg beers version.

Pasteurization is named for French scientist Louis Pasteur, who discovered that fluids can be partially sterilized at high temperatures. This process enables the brewer to kill traces of live yeast or other organisms which helps the beer stay fresh longer. The filled and closed packages are conveyed through different sections of a “tunnel” pasteurizer, and are sprayed with heated water. Pasteurization is also needed to preserve product uniformity. The brewer has only minimal control of the conditions and the length of time packaged beer will be stored, particularly by the retailer and the consumer.

The downside of pasteurization is that it alters the taste and destroy the natural yeast and enzymes in the beers, and along with them, potential health benefits.
Non pasteurized beers have better taste and better health benefits since it is not subjected to heat.

Drinking unpasteurized beers is safe. An unpasteurized beer is “live” beer, containing living micro-organisms such as yeast. The alcohol in beer will kill any harmful bacteria, which is why unpasteurized beer is not a health risk. Unpasteurized beer has health benefits. It has live yeast, which is one of the most effective ways of getting vitamin B complexes. (The B vitamins also counteract hangovers, just an added benefit of unpasteurized beer.) Certain types of beer contain lactobacillus, which is the beneficial bacteria in fermented vegetables and dairy ferments (yogurt, kefir). Sour beers are the ones which usually contain lactobacillus. Of course, only an unpasteurized beer will contain live lactobacillus that are beneficial for you. Almost all or all commercial beers are pasteurized, which makes the yeast not very useful, and the lactobacillus useless.

Beers that are “bottle-conditioned” are not pasteurized. Many Belgian Ale and U.S craft beers are bottle conditioned. Big Beer (Budweiser, Coors, Miller) pasteurizes beers after bottling to prevent microbes from causing “off” flavors. These microbes, however, do not cause illness. Craft brewers do not typically pasteurize, and while there is little evidence to support any claims, I expect that research will ultimately reveal that unpasteurized “live” beers are nutritionally superior to pasteurized beers. The major difference between Big Beer and craft brewers extends beyond pasteurization to filtration. The big beers companies filter their beer to remove yeast and protein that causes the beer to cloud at lower temps, called chill haze. But filtering the yeast removes most of the B vitamins – think brewer’s yeast – and other nutrients like chromium, evidence that unfiltered beers are more nutritious.

Some brewers are reverting back to “bottle-conditioning”, a centuries-old tradition of preserving beer. Bottle-conditioned beers undergo a second brief fermentation – in the bottle – which carbonates the beer naturally. In addition, the added yeast fights off the microbes that cause “off” flavors and enables the beer to improve with age, like a bottle of wine.

There are health benefits associated with moderate beer consumption. Keep in mind, too, that darker beers contain more antioxidants than lighter beers.

Non pasteurized beers list / Un-pasteurized beers list

Anchor Steam Brewery (San Francisco, California): Both Anchor Steam bottled beers and keg are flash-pasteurized and filtered.

To my surprise, Anchor Steam, a San Francisco microbrewery pasteurizes their keg and bottled beers. I have never been really a fan of Anchor Steam, as it tasted too bland for me. Could this be related to the pasteurization process of Anchor Steam beers?

Thank you for your e-mail. All of our beers are flash-pasteurized and filtered. Best regards,Anchor Brewing Company

Deschutes Brewery (Oregon) / Black Butte Porter Beers:

Thank you again for your inquiry. At this time none of our brews are pasteurized. We may consider it with beer aged in oak barrels but only the barrel aged portion of the brew would be pasteurized. We prefer un-pasteurized brews as well. Hope this helps.

Bottle Conditioned: Living Beer

Live beer, however, generally refers to the presence of noble yeasts left over from the brewing process. Beers that have been bottled unpasteurized and unfiltered, with a significant amount of live yeast, are called “bottle-conditioned” beers. The purpose of bottling beers in such a manner is to give them the potential to age and develop more complexity. Yeast inhibits oxidation and contributes complex flavors as it breaks down slowly in the bottle. Many Belgian ales are traditionally bottle conditioned through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, in a process similar to that which produces champagne. Some bottled beers from U.S.A, such as Mendocino RedTail Ale from Mendocino Brewing Company are bottle-conditioned. is brewed in the traditional “old world” manner, using premium two-row malted barley, hops and our own special proprietary yeast strain. It is an amber ale with a rich complex refreshing flavor and a crisp dry finish. Red Tail Ale is “Bottle Conditioned.” Like good wine, Red Tail Ale is a perfect complement to fine dining. Mendocino Blue Heron Pale Ale is a delightful, medium bodied smooth ale, with a distinctive crisp mouth-feel and a fresh hoppy finish. It is brewed using premium two-row Pale malted barley, generous amounts of both Cluster bittering hops and Cascade finishing hops and our own special proprietary yeast strain. Blue Heron Pale Ale is “Bottle Conditioned.

An unpasteurized beer bottled with its yeast will not age in the manner of a conventionally processed beer. With age, bottle-conditioned beers develop a rounded, smoother mouthfeel, and over the course of years, often take on winey, vinous flavors.

Bottle conditioning is an economical means for small-scale craft brewers to bottle ales without the need for costly pasteurization or filtration equipment. How long one cellars bottle-conditioned beers is a matter of personal taste and will also depend on the specific character of the beer in question.

Fresh, well-brewed beer that has traveled only a small number of miles will invariably taste better than an equivalent beer that left the brewery a few months ago. Indeed, a draft beer that has traveled a great distance (almost all beers on tap that are imports, such as Beck’s, Heineken, Stella, Guinness, etc) will certainly have been pasteurized, thus is slightly handicapped from the start. The flip side to this is that a pasteurized imported keg of beer will certainly last longer when it is tapped than an unpasteurized, “live,” craft beer. The latter needs to be drunk fresh. A conscientious draft bar should keep a few tap handles devoted to local craft brews and ensure that they remain fresh.

If a beer fails to live up to its obligation of being fresh, send it back over the bar-politely of course. Beer condition must always be the primary concern of any good bar. When confronted by a long line of tap handles, your first question to the bartender should be, “What’s fresh?”

Non-Pasteurized

For the most part, keg beer brewed and packaged in kegs in the U.S. is not pasteurized although the big three (Budweiser, Coors, Miller, plus some such as Anchor Steam) pasteurize even their keg beers. During the packaging process non pasteurized draft beers are sterile filtered and chilled to the point that any surviving bacteria, which could ferment the beer, become dormant. Kegs are kept cold ( < 50°F ) from the brewery to the point of dispense. Draft beer dispensed from a keg should be fresh by storing as short as possible, and serving cold at 38°F.

Temperatures above 38°F may promote non pasteurized draft beers to turn sour or cloudy. Should the temperature rise above 50°F, the dormant bacteria which ferments and spoils beer will once again become active and, subsequent growth will rapidly begin to spoil flavor and cloud the beer.

Most of the keg beer brewed and packaged outside the U.S. (Import beers), are heat pasteurized during packaging. This process kills off the bacteria that ferment and spoils the beer.

Pasteurized draft beer kegs can be transported and stored at room temperature. The beer in these kegs can be flash cooled at the point of dispense. However, most imported kegs are stored and dispensed at the same temperature (38°F) as domestic, non pasteurized kegs.

Addendum

Response from Beck’s Beers:

You were wondering if we pasteurize our Beck’s bottled beers. Yes, we do. Furthermore, I’d like to explain the process a bit more in depth. Pasteurization allows packaged beer to be shipped and stored without refrigeration.

Beck’s beer is a Classic German Pilsner and features a light grainy malt character and distinctive flowery or spicy noble hops. Brewed according the German purity law, this classic German Pilsner carries a distinctive full-bodied taste, with a fresh “hoppy” bouquet, golden color and rich full head. The taste doesn’t end there. With a slightly fruity but firm crispness, this exciting blend of intriguing flavors ends with a clean, dry finish.

I hope this information is helpful, and that you’re able to raise a cold glass of Beck’s and celebrate your San Francisco Giants winning the World Series (if you’re a fan). Feel free to get back in touch anytime about the beer or anything we do. Until then, I raise my glass to you.

There is no school like the old school. And good old school styled team building is when the boss takes the team out for beers. It’s tried and true, but is it really effective?

Consider that a good team building experience should:

1) Provide a shared experience

2) Promote disclosure among participants

3) Level the playing field between colleagues

4) Build trust

5) Increase self-awareness

Let’s break it down and see if old-school team building works.

How does drinking beer with a team of colleagues score on these five team building elements? We’ll rate on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high).

1) Drinking beer provides a shared experience. In its extreme, a shared experience is the Sgt. Hulka boot camp phenomenon. Put people through an activity where they have an intense experience (even a bad one), and it usually builds camaraderie over the long term. It’s the common bond of accomplishment, a common goal and shared memories.

We’d give beer a 5 out of 10 on this one. Sometimes the challenges around the experience aren’t very challenging, and the whole beery evening can be forgettable. Other times stories are exchanged, bar games are played, and the evening leaves everyone more relaxed, and aware of some different things that are happening in the lives of their colleagues.

2) Drinking beer promotes disclosure. Disclosure builds trust. Trust builds team. Why? When you tell me something about yourself, you are making an investment in me, in us. You grant me the honor of trusting me with that information. Second, your disclosure may reveal some talent about yourself that I’m not aware of; a talent that might one day provide me with some comfort when the time comes for me to choose whether I can rely on you or not. For example, a manager finds out his new analyst is also an amateur thespian. She may then be more comfortable when the analyst has to make an important investor presentation during her vacation week.

Beer gets a 9 out of 10 on disclosure. Although, beer can prompt the disclosure of wrong information, especially if one drinks too much, the pub loosens the environment and allows for some history on each of us to be passed around. The environment promotes disclosure. The purpose of being at a bar is to socialize. Mostly, this is a good thing.

3. Drinking beer levels the playing field. The hierarchy of the office needs to be set aside as much as it can for hidden talents and skills to come out, and for mutual respect and relationships to grow. Everybody has to feel like they can contribute to whatever is happening. If we all feel like we have to do what the boss says, period, then the playing field isn’t level.

Beer gets a 7 on this one. Once you’re in the bar, the hierarchy gets all turned around. Yes, you’ll probably still laugh at the boss’s jokes, but the leader of the experience is more likely to be the most engaging member of the team, or the best darts player, or the funniest. The downside? Some people don’t like bars or pubs, so some members of the team might not participate at all. (Actually the Down Side is not a bad name for a pub, is it?)

4. Drinking beer builds trust. A good experience forces us to rely on others to succeed, and requires different skills than are necessarily required to do our day-to-day jobs. This is unlikely to happen at the bar, unless your team gets to win at darts against the forces of evil (talk about “old school”), who happen to have chosen the same bar for their team building.

Beer gets a 3 on trust building. Generally, no direct trust building is going on here. But, it still gets a 3 because we can put a checkmark in the ‘promotes disclosure’ box and as we’ve said, that’s a foundation step to building trust.

5. Drinking beer increases self-awareness A good team building experience includes time set aside for structured introspection, where participants have a chance to debrief their reactions to the experience and think about their reactions, their communication and their effect on others.

Other than the slovenly cab ride home and taking your tie or earrings off in front of the bathroom vanity not much.  Drinking beer gets a 1 on self-awareness.

Total score: Drinking Beer scores a 25 out of 50 on our teambuilding scale. Significant, but not a home run.

But let’s look at that score from a glass half-full perspective. Armed with this awareness about what makes a good teambuilding experience, and knowing that a simple trip to the local watering hole can get you halfway there, it can’t be that tough to come up with a plan for a potentially great team building experience.

When most people think of a team building experience, it usually involves some increased component of physical risk; the much cliched trust fall, a ropes course, a scavenger hunt, or a mock Olympics. Hidden talents emerge, the hierarchy can shift, and if it’s set up correctly and well debriefed, self-awareness is boosted. We help each other through this challenge, and we all have a good laugh and feel good about being supported and supporting our colleagues. A physical team challenge gets people out of their heads, and out of the hierarchy – especially if it’s professionally facilitated like the Outward Bound adventures – and can be the right call to help a groups improve their team performance.

There are risks. What’s the Down Side? (besides a great name for a bar?) One drawback is that it’s too far removed from the work environment, and without facilitated dialog, the potential learning never surfaces. A second problem is that someone gets hurt. As quick as it takes to get poked in the eye or sprain an ankle, the benefit from the experience can be undone.

The truth is you can build a sense of team around any type of content. Make a wish about what your team could do better, and turn that wish into a team-building, skill-building event. Instead of mountain climbing, make the focus overcoming obstacles using new problem solving skills. Instead of cooking, make the content a recipe for listening and giving feedback. Instead of wine tasting: a meeting on how to cultivate an environment that values innovation. Instead of a scavenger hunt, a public speaking session on finding ways to give clear and effective presentations.

It’s all about layering: being deliberate about achieving multiple objectives whenever your team is face-to-face. Build team and at the same time build durable skills; skills that are useful professionally and personally, and lay the groundwork for your team to communicate and work more effectively together.

And then, celebrate with a beer, because it sure beats a poke in the eye.

One of the various things the German people are known for is beer. Beer is an essential piece of their tradition and heritage, with over thirteen-hundred varied breweries spanning the country. As far as per capita beer consumption, the Germans are only behind the Czechs and the Irish. The history of Germanic brew spans back to the beginnings of the nation when monks started to experiment with brewing around 1000 A.D. The country’s leaders eventually started to legislate the manufacturing of beer as brewing started to be more and more profitable. The most well-known and significant component to effect Germanic brewing came in 1516 with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the purity standard.

To  make sure that Bavarian beers were only the highest quality the Duke Wilhelm IV authorized the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot. Hops, barley, and water are the only ingredients that should go in in beer according to the law. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation placed on food in the world and has remain unchanged in nearly five-hundred years. Yeast is the only inclusion to the list of crucial ingredients in the act. Yeast found naturally in the air was what manufacturers before used. Bavarian breweries were soon considered the superior makers of beer because of the strict standard of quality following by the purity requirement. As the prominence of the Bavarian breweries spread around the nation other manufacturers started to follow the proclamation as well.

German beers have a long-standing reputation of making quality brews made only from the purest ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. As time passed and Germany began to ship out beer, some cities became famed brewing locations. By fifteen-hundred, Scandinavia, Holland, England, and  as far as India principally recieved their beer from one of the more than 600 breweries in the city of Bremen. Two more famed brewing cities were Einbeck and Braunschweig. In modern-day Germany, the majority of the country’s drinking people still choose fabbier, or draught beer, over bottled beer because of it’s robust flavor and perfect amount of  foam. In an effort to curtail more outbreaks of the bubonic plague German beer steins became popular about the time the purity standard came about and are still used today.

During the time of the bubonic plague, Germany originated a lot of laws to prevent its citizens from getting ill. Massive amounts of infected flies would land in people’s food and spread the infection. This led to the German beer stein, a beverage container with a hinged lid that could be used with the thumb so a person could stop infection and still be able to drink with one hand. Beer drinking rose exponentially as citizens started to realize the disease spread in unsanitary conditions with brackish pools of water. Originally made of stoneware with pewter lids, steins grew in popularity. Steins began to be manufactured entirely of pewter for nearly 300 years as the pewter guild grew. Eventually, porcelain and silver German beer steins were introduced and are still produced today.

Nowadays there are over 1350 breweries within Germany’s lands that produce over five-thousand brands of beer. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, which has been producing beer since one-thousand and forty, is reported as the oldest brewery in the world. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. German breweries produce a wide variety of tastes and brands of beer with the majority of them able to be placed under ales or lagers. Some brands of beer may have an alcoholic content as high as 12%, making them more potent than a lot of wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content ranging from 4.7% to 5.4%.

There are many different styles of beer, but in judging beers there are 9 common classes that will be reviewed. This article summarizes one of these distinct classes of beer.

Class 1: Light Lagers

Light lagers basically consist of American Light (Budweiser, Coors, Michelob) and Pre-prohibition, German and Bohemian pilsners (Bitburger, Pilsner Urquell), Dortmunder Export (Stoudt’s Gold) and Munich Helles (Spaten Premium).

1. Light Lager

Styles

1. 1A. Lite American Lager

2. 1B. Standard American Lager

3. 1C. Premium American Lager

4. 1D. Munich Helles

5. 1E. Dortmunder Export

1A. Lite American Lager

Overall Impression: Very light, refreshing.

Comments: A lower calorie beer than standard international lagers. Not the strongest flavors. these beers were designed to appeal to massive populations.

Commercial Examples: Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Amstel Light

1B. Standard American Lager

Comments: Flavors still not too strong. The standard lager is the most popular and the most mass-marketed.

Commercial Examples: Miller High Life, Budweiser, Kirin Lager, Molson Golden, Corona Extra, Foster’s Lager

1C. Premium American Lager

Overall Impression: More filling than lite versions. Still a very light beer. Refreshing.

Comments: More flavor than stadard/lite lagers, but no strong flavors present in the beer. Again, another mass market beer, however, much heavier than the others mentioned. The green bottled imports are included here like Heineken, for example.

Commercial Examples: Miller Genuine Draft, Michelob, Coors Extra Gold, Heineken, Beck’s, Stella Artois, Singha

1D. Munich Helles

Overall Impression: Malty but fully attenuated.

History: Created in Munich in 1895 at the Spaten brewery by Gabriel Sedlmayr. This beer was designed to compete directly with the ever-popular Pilsner style beers.

Comments: this beer focuses on malt flavor with some hop bitterness, which is much unlike the Pilsner style.

Commercial Examples: Hacker-Pschorr M̹nchner Helles, Paulaner Premium Lager, Spaten Premium Lager, Andechser Hell, Augustiner Lagerbier Hell, Weihenstephaner Original, Stoudt’s Gold Lager

1E. Dortmunder Export

Very well balanced, light copper colored beer. hop profile of a Munich Helles, hopped like a pilsner, but tends to be a bit stronger than those.

History: Born in the Dortmund industrial region, Dortmunder has been losing its popularity drastically in the region.

Commercial Examples: DAB Export, Dortmunder Union Export, Dortmunder Kronen, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Saratoga Lager, Dominion Lager, Gordon Biersch Golden Export

Four of the best alternatives to beer for a hot summer’s day:

#1 Gin and tonic

A gin and tonic is what is known as a ‘highball cocktail’ (basically, a mixer), of about equal parts gin and tonic water, with ice and a slice of lemon. Both the gin and the tonic should be kept cold before pouring. Because it’s cool and not too sweet, it’s a great refreshing drink when it’s hot out. And the quinine in tonic water will even prevent malaria! Which is always useful.

#2 Hard cider

Alcoholic cider is made from crushed and fermented apples, so it’s sweeter and more tasty than beer. However, just like beer it’s pretty light, refreshing and easy to drink more than one of. Like beer it’s best served cold, and it’s roughly the same alcohol content as well. If you’re sick of beer, but still want something as easy, refreshing and convenient, definitely try cider.

#3 Chili vodka and dry ginger ale

This sounds weird, but it’s actually a great, different, summer drink that will surprise and amaze your friends. To make it, you just need to put 3-5 normal chilies into a bottle of vodka and let them infuse for about two days. Then serve it with some chilled dry ginger ale and a few ice cubes. This is an amazing drink with a real kick. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but we think it’s great.

#4 Rum and soda

This is an absolute summer classic, and very simple. It’s just rum (an aged rum is best) poured into a glass of crushed ice (or just cubes if they’re all you have), and topped with a splash of soda water.

Note: Beer is beer and nothing can beat that

Beer is one thing that is irresistible for numerous individuals. There are people, who like to have beer all the time irrespective of the time of the day. They just desire to have beer glass in their hands all the time. However they do not know the ill effects of beer on their health. It is one of the reasons of extra fat in your body. In fact, it makes your body acquire a fat belly in a short period of time.

You may notice that if you have a beer belly, you will not look attractive and everyone will ignore you. In the way, you might have a deep impact on your life. Henceforth, it is advisable for all the beer-drinkers to avoid drinking beer otherwise they too might develop a beer belly, which can look ugly.

However, there are numerous doctors, who advise the individuals to binge on beer to shed weight. This is possible, when you are confident that it does not contain carbohydrates in large quantities. Numerous individuals believe that intake of light beer will never result in large quantity of carbohydrates. Still, the fact is that no beer contains the exact amount of any ingredients.

Thus in many cases, ‘binge beer to shed weight’ does not apply and people often gets over bulky. Individuals having extra body fat due to beer should be on low carbohydrate diet. If the beer contains little amount of carbohydrate, you can carry on with it even during any weight loss program.