Buzz
As Homer Simpson, the undisputed philosopher of the 20th century, famously said: Beer is both the cause and the answer to all of life’s dilemmas. This golden beverage deserves recognition for playing a crucial role in numerous groundbreaking developments throughout human history.
10. Refrigeration
Refrigerators are essential for preserving our food, keeping it fresh and safe to eat. They have become indispensable in sustaining life and fueling our progress in the modern world. Interestingly, they were originally designed to chill our beers, which remains one of their most beloved uses today.
Historically, brewing was a cold-weather activity due to its exothermic process. It produces heat, and excessive warmth can kill the yeast and ruin the beer. For centuries, ice blocks were harvested and stored in cellars to keep beer cool. The breakthrough came with Carl Von Linde's invention of mechanical refrigeration, who was employed by the Spaten Brewery in Munich.
By the 1880s, refrigeration was a standard practice in breweries. Although expensive, it allowed them to brew throughout the year. This innovation also enabled breweries to expand and open in areas far from natural ice sources. It led to the popularity of lager beers and, eventually, the widespread use of refrigerators in homes.
9. Glass Bottles
Beer didn't invent glass, but it played a pivotal role in the creation of glass bottles, which now hold everything from amber ales to water, ketchup, baby formula, and medicine. This was one of the earliest examples of large-scale mechanical production, which would thrive and become a dominant force in the 20th century.
Michael Joseph Owens was the mastermind behind the revolutionary machine. Teaming up with Libbey Glass, Owens aimed to mass-produce long-neck beer bottles. His machine was a huge success, and by 1903, it could produce 12 glass bottles per minute. By 1912, it was making 50 bottles per minute. By 1915, Owens' machine was being used worldwide.
The company Owens founded held the rights to produce bottles for brandy, wine, and specialty items. Exclusive rights were sold to Heinz for ketchup bottles, to Hazel-Atlas for general bottles, and to Ball Brothers for fruit jars.
8. Pasteurization And Germ Theory
Pasteurization is commonly linked to milk today, involving the heating and cooling of liquids to eliminate harmful bacteria. However, Louis Pasteur, who discovered this process, wasn’t focused on milk; he was trying to improve beer.
Local breweries sought answers as to why their beer was spoiling, and assisting local industries was part of Pasteur’s responsibilities at the University of Lille. They enlisted Pasteur, who proved that bacteria were responsible for spoilage—bacteria that could be eliminated through a heating and cooling process. He named this process pasteurization.
The experiments on beer led to the creation and validation of germ theory, which proposed that diseases are caused by external pathogens. Before this, it was believed that pathogens spontaneously generated inside substances, rather than originating from the outside. This discovery paved the way for vaccinations and modern medicine, all thanks to the frustration caused by spoiled beer.
7. The Thermometer
James Joule required extremely precise conditions and the skills honed in the brewery to measure and define mechanical heat. For example, the temperature had to be exactly right, he had to work alone, and his experiments had to be uninterrupted for many hours. Under these specific constraints, dictated by brewing, he conducted experiments that would ultimately shape the field of physics.
Joule realized the need for a more accurate thermometer, leading to the creation of the mercury model that we rely on today, replacing the unreliable air thermometers that were commonly used before. Perhaps more significantly, Joule developed the mechanical heat ratio in his brewery, which laid the foundation for the science of energy.
6. The pH Scale
The pH scale plays a crucial role in modern science across many disciplines. It measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, with a neutral pH of 7. Anything below that is acidic, and anything above is alkaline, with 14 being the most alkaline. The scale is essential for understanding the optimal levels for liquids, such as in the body or drinking water. Its creation can be traced back to beer enthusiasts frustrated by their inability to consistently measure their brew’s acidity.
Brewers at Carlsberg were frustrated by the lack of a standardized way to describe the acidity of their beer. They had to rely on imprecise, subjective terms. The development of the pH scale allowed them to track the fermentation of their beer accurately and enabled others to replicate their process with consistent results.
5. The T-Test
In research, it's typically best to have a large sample to validate your hypothesis. However, reality seldom aligns with ideal scenarios. So, what happens when the sample size falls short?
Guinness breweries faced this dilemma, as they couldn’t easily replicate tests for new barley varieties. With small sample sizes and new crops taking a year to grow under different weather conditions, it was similar to trying to understand a population of 1,000 using a group of just 10 people.
To solve this, brewer William Seally Gosset created the t-test, a method published under the pseudonym 'Student,' as he wasn’t permitted to use his real name. Essentially, the t-test is a statistical tool used to test hypotheses derived from a small sample when the standard deviation is unknown. Statisticians owe this solution to Guinness.
4. Carbon Dioxide
At one point, air was considered a single uniform substance, rather than the mix of gases we understand it to be now. It was through beer that Joseph Priestley first identified carbon dioxide, and in doing so, uncovered the concept of individual gases.
Living near a brewery, Priestley noticed that gas rising from fermenting liquids settled on the ground, suggesting it was denser than the surrounding air. This led him to discover carbon dioxide. He also saw that this gas could put out a flame. Priestley then learned to create it without alcohol, leading to the invention of carbonated drinks. Therefore, beer played a role in the creation of many of your favorite fizzy beverages.
This groundbreaking discovery prompted Priestley to explore other types of 'airs' (what we now call gases) that might be present. Ultimately, the heavy gas from his beer experiment helped him not only identify CO2 and oxygen but also six other gases, including laughing gas—a remarkable achievement.
3. Communism
Few philosophical doctrines in the 19th and 20th centuries were as influential and polarizing as communism. The original Communist Manifesto, authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, sparked over a century of global political upheaval. Yet, this iconic work might not have existed without a legendary beer-fueled discussion between the two thinkers.
Both Engels and Marx were no strangers to alcohol. Marx’s first year at university was described as a 'wild rampage' by his father. Over the years, he often enjoyed a pint or two while completing his PhD. Engels preferred wine, and during a month-long trip to France, he was often intoxicated.
While in Paris, Engels organized a beer meeting with Marx. What began as a casual drink turned into far more. As one historian described it, what followed were 10 beer-soaked days, during which Engels and Marx exchanged ideas, dissecting and developing the foundation of communism—thanks to the inspiring influence of beer.
2. The Success Of Colonial America
Continuing with our exploration of early American history, the prosperity of colonial America was, in part, made possible by history’s beloved beverage.
At the time, Europeans were not keen on drinking water. It was considered unsafe in the old world, so beer became the drink of choice. The first settlers, however, had to rely on water, and the further south they traveled, the more likely it was to be contaminated with dangerous pathogens.
As the Pilgrims pondered their journey to America in the 1600s, one of their biggest worries was falling ill from drinking water. To prevent the passengers from consuming too much beer, the sailors dropped them off farther north than planned. The settlers, to their surprise, found the northern water to be quite pleasant to drink.
In the Virginia colony, 1630 finally brought about some relief—they began to brew beer. The colony had been unsustainable with the previous death rate, so the arrival of alcohol kept them alive.
1. The Age Of Exploration
The European expeditions to discover and claim new lands during the Age of Exploration were grueling and lengthy, with little chance to stop and resupply. Thus, the rations carried on board had to last long enough to prevent starvation during the journey.
When Christopher Columbus set sail from the Iberian Peninsula in search of the New World, the provisions on board included hard cheeses, honey, olives, anchovies, and of course, countless barrels of beer. It was not uncommon for sailors to be rationed over a gallon of beer a day. Since water would spoil below deck, beer was the drink of choice for sailors on their extended voyages during the Age of Exploration.
