Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from cereal grains, hops, water, and yeast. Most beers contain from 3 to 6 percent alcohol. Worldwide, people drink about 50 billion gallons (190 billion liters) of beer annually. The Czech Republic consumes more beer per capita (per person) than any other country. Other leading beer-consuming countries include Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. China produces the most beer, followed by the United States. Belgium brews the greatest variety of beers. Beer includes such nutrients as carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and minerals. A 12-ounce (355-milliliter) serving of most beers has from 130 to 180 calories.
To make beer, brewers begin with barley malt or wheat malt. Malt is grain that has been soaked in water until it sprouts, then dried and aged. Brewers heat the ground malt with water, converting starches in the grains into sugar and other carbohydrates. Brewers may cook other grains—such as corn and rice—separately and add them to the malt and water mixture. Next, they remove the liquid from the mixture and boil the liquid with plants called hops, which provide the beer’s aroma and bitter flavor. Once the liquid has cooled, the brewers typically add yeast to begin fermentation. In fermentation, the yeast breaks down the sugar into ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide gas, and small amounts of other compounds that affect the flavor of the beer. After fermentation, brewers often remove the yeast and age the beer for several weeks or months before bottling to improve its taste.
Brewers make two general types of beer—lager and ale—using different types of malt and yeast. Malt liquor refers to lagers and ales with high alcohol contents.
Lager beers generally have a pale color and subtle, balanced hop and malt flavors. They include light beer, pilsners, dry beer, and bock lagers. Brewers specially brew light beer to reduce its carbohydrate and calorie content. Pilsners have a strong hops aroma. Dry beer tastes less sweet than other lagers. Bock lagers generally have a sweeter taste—and often a higher alcohol content—than other lagers.
Ales often have more distinct malt and hop flavors than lagers. They include porter, stout, and wheat beers. Porter and stout are dark ales with a strong, roasted taste. Wheat beers may appear cloudy and often have fruity and spicy flavors.
Beer, brewed as early as 6000 B.C., ranks among the oldest alcoholic drinks. The ancient Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Teutons all made beer.
See also Alcoholic beverage; Brewing; Hop; Oktoberfest; Yeast.
