Beer Brands, Types, Styles & Brewing

Worldwide, 20,000 brands of beer are brewed in 180 styles, from ales, lagers, pilsner & stouts to bitters, cream ales & iced beers.

1() It has been a popular beverage since ancient times. Babylonian clay tables show detailed recipes of beer making

in 4300 BC. Beer was also brewed by the ancient Chinese, Assyrians & Incas. An Egyptian text of 1600

BC gives 100 medical prescriptions for using beer. Commercial beer making was established in1200 AD

in present-day Germany. Bottling of beer started in 1605.

2() Brewing means changing water & grain into beer through a yeast catalyst. The quality of the water is

extremely important. Hard water produces bitter ale, soft water produces bitter lager. Barley or hops, or

a combination of them, is used for the grain. Getting dry grain ready for fermentation is called malting. The grain

is steeped in water until it sprouts. The sprouting or germination is not allowed to end naturally but is interrupted

either by drying or roasting in kilns.

3() The basic constituents of beer are water; a starch source, such as malted barley, able to be fermented onverted

into alcohol); a brewer’s yeast to produce the fermentation; & a flavouring such as hops. A mixture of starch

sources may be used, with a secondary starch source, such as maize (corn), rice or sugar, often being termed

an adjunct, especially when used as a lower-cost substitute for malted barley. Less widely starch sources

include millet, sorghum, & cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, & agave in Mexico, among others. The amount

of each starch source in a beer recipe is collectively called the grain bill.

4() Ales, stouts & several other types of brews, like porter, are top-fermented. Lagers are bottom-fermented.

Ales usually are heavily hopped, & include bitters, brown ales, cream ales, mild ale, pale ale, India pale ale,

barley wine & several other types. There are two types of the aboriginal ale still brewed in Europe. They are

Belgian “lambic” & Finnish “sahti”, which is brewed from rye malt. They are brewed on wild yeast & spontaneous

fermentation. Both have very distinct tastes. The word “lager” is German & means “storage”, which refers to the

lager (storage) fermentation.

5() The main active ingredient in beer is alcohol. The moderate consumption of alcohol, including beer,

is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke & cognitive decline. The long-term effects

of alcohol abuse, however,

include the risk of developing alcoholism & alcoholic liver disease. Brewer’s yeast is known to be a rich source

of nutrients; therefor, as expected, beer can contain significant amounts of nutrients, including magnesium,

selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin & B vitamins. In fact, beer is sometimes referred to as “liquid bread”.

In 2005 Japanese study found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties. Another study

found non- alcoholic beer to mirror the cardiovascular benefits associated with moderate consumption

of alcoholic beverages. However, much research suggests that the primary health benefit from

alcoholic beverages comes from the alcohol they contain.

A) Health effects of beer have been proved. B) World-wide consumption of beer is increasing.

C) Beer barrels are stored in cellars. D) Beer consists of certain ingredients. E) Beer has a long history.

F) There are many types of beer brewed. G) Taste the best beer. H) Making beer is a complicated process.

 

15. Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).