Cheers! Celebrate International Beer Day with these frothy facts

Most Fridays are celebrated with beer but with 2 August being International Beer Day, it’s worth learning a few facts about this ancient beverage while you enjoy a cold one or two.

Here are a few things you probably didn’t know about the barley, hops, and yeast bevvy.

1. International Beer Day was started in the United States to celebrate the craft of brewing in 3 ways:
– To gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer.

– To celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer.

– To unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day.

2. One of the globe’s most well-known beer festivals, Oktoberfest began in Germany’s Munich in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

3. Despite giving it a good go, South Africans don’t drink the most beer in the world – that title is reserved for the Czech Republic.
However, that’s per capita. In terms of overall consumption, China – with it’s large population – takes the title.

4. Beer has been a popular beverage for a long, LONG time!
The origins are traced back to 3 500BC in Western Iran where chemical tests on pots show beer was made here.

5. Beer drinkers will have a favourite flavour but there are actually more than 100 varieties of beer.
However, there are only two categories of beer; ales and lagers.

6. Ales and lagers differ according to where the yeast gathers, as well as the timing and temperatures required for ageing. Lagers tend to be crisper and more refreshing while ales are often aromatic and fruity.

7. Germany holds the number one place for global beer production with more than 1 500 breweries and more than 5 000 beer brands, most of them in Bavaria.

So cheers to International Beer Day! Or, if you want to be really international:
French: Santé (sahn-tay)

Italian: Cin cin (chin chin)

Danish: Skål (skohl)

Spanish: Salud (sah-lood)

Swedish: Skål (skohl)

German: Prost (prost)

Czech: Na zdraví (naz drah-vee)

Thai: ????? (chok di)

Portuguese: Saúde (sa-oh-jeh)

Turkish: ?erefe (she-reh-feh)

Vietnamese: M?t, hai, ba, dô (moht, hi, bah, yo)

Greek: ????? (yamas)

Mandarin Chinese: ?? (g?n b?i)

SOURCES:
www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-beer-day
www.onlycraftbeer.com
www.wineenthusiast.com
www.oktoberfest.de
www.beelinguapp.com

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