8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

1/16

People & Alcohol

Church Brew WorksPittsburgh, PA

Ohio UniversityPBIO 103 (Plants & People)

Dr. Jared DeForest

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

2/16

Alcohol influences many differentneurotransmitter

Very effective

Humans and animals are drawn toalcohol

Alcohol has provided a variety offunctions for people

Important role in religion & worship

Source of needed nutrients

Medicinal & antiseptic properties

Enhancing the quality of lifeSocial lubricant

Facilitate relaxationPharmacological pleasure

The Importance of Alcohol

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

3/16

The discovery of alcohol was byaccident at least 10,000 years ago

Fruit kept in potteryA woven basket would not

produce alcohol

The production of alcohol is asimply biological process

Fermentation

Fleshy fruit especially berriesWill eventually ferment unlessconsumed

Pre-historic

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

4/16

Beer may have preceded bread as stapleGood way to preserve energy &nutrients lots of calories

Source of clean water - A necessity forsurvival

Earliest alcoholic beveragesBerries and Honey

Winemaking wild grapes native to themiddle east

Ancient Period

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

5/16

Brewing dates from the beginningof civilization

Alcohol was a necessity of life

Brewed in every household

Common by 2,000 BC

Four types of alcohol beveragesBeer grain

Wine berries (grapes)Mead honeyCider - apples

Ancient Brewing

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

6/16

When consuming alcohol, moderationwas stressed

Difficult to survive & produce food ifyour drunk

Early civilizations quickly recognizedthe dangers of excessive intoxication

Only the rich or powerful could getdrunk on a regular basis

Common folk reserved intoxication atfestivals & banquets

Moderation

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

7/16

Wine was the drink of choice amongthe Romans

Distributed free or at cost to CitizensA means to subdue to population

Grapes grew well within the romanempire

Lead poisoning & wineRomans brewed wine in lead pots

Used lead acetate to sweeten wine

Drank out of lead cups

Roman Empire

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

8/16

After the fall of the Roman Empire,monasteries became repositories ofbrewing

Monks guarded their knowledge

Common folk produced rustic beers &

wild fruit wines

Distillation developedProcess to increase the alcoholcontent (proof) fortified wine

Medicinal purposes

Popularity of beer started to replacewine in Europe

Middle Ages

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

9/16

Medieval Warming Period 800- 1300 ADWarmer than today

Climate could support wine grapes asfar north as mid-Britain

Wine was the popular drink duringthis time, due to climate

When the Little Ice Age began in 16th

century, most vineyards died outBeer became popular in northern

Europe, whereas wine was popular insouth

Beer English, Belgian, GermanWine France, Italy, Greek

Climate & Wine

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

10/16

By the 16th century, countries inEurope took their beer and winemaking very seriously

1561 German Beer Purity Law

Beer can only be malted barley, hops,pure water, & yeast

Prevent price competition with bakersfor wheat & rye

Prior to law, people would:Add soot, psychoactive mushrooms, orother potential unhealthy product topreserve beer

German Beer Purity Law

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

11/16

Alcohol was illegal in the US from1920-1933 The 18th AmendmentMany other countries went throughthe same thing

Pre-prohibition

Every town had its own breweryDistributed locally

Rural farmers brewed their own always had a parcel for barley

Because beers character comes fromits environment, the variety of beerwas enormous

Beer was an integral part of daily

life since American colonization

US Pre-Prohibition

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

12/16

ProhibitionVirtually all small town brewerswhen out of business

Some large breweries survived

Malted products for food industrySelling sacramental wine

Brewing went undergroundThe mob gained power by sellingbootlegged booze

Prohibition was very unpopular by the1930s

Illegal alcohol worse to society thanlegal alcohol

US Prohibition

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

13/16

Post-Prohibition21st Amendment repelled the federal law

Liquor laws still on the booksNo sales in certain counties

e.g. Lynchburg TN, home of JackDaniels whiskey, is a dry county

Industry of large breweries emergedDemise of small breweries 10 years ofidle equipment and low operation budgets

Mass marketing of beer beganAn increase in alcohol content

US Post-Prohibition

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

14/16

The ingredients in beer changed

Before prohibition, beer was maltedbarley, water, yeast, & hope

After, beer contained less malt & hops,and more adjuncts

Adjuncts Added to beer to lighten thebody & increase the alcohol content

World War II - rationed grainsMost beer drinkers in US were women,

who preferred lighter body & taste

One style of emerged light lagerse.g., Budweiser et al.

The American Lager

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

15/16

Choice of beer was limited afterprohibition

Many people started to homebrewRecapture centuries-old tradition of

beer making

Microbreweries started to spring-upagain (1990s)

Emergence of craft beer in US market

Virtually all early microbreweries wasfrom home brewers

Microbreweries

8/7/2019 19 Alcohol 10

16/16

The End

Modern microbrewery