Portal:Beer/Sandbox

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The Beer Portal

Introduction

P:Beer

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, the most widely consumed, and the third most popular drink after water and tea. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.

Some of the earliest writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it, and "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.

Beer is distributed in bottles and cans and is also commonly available on draught, particularly in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Beer forms part of the culture of many nations and is associated with social traditions such as beer festivals, as well as activities like pub crawling, pub quizzes, and pub games. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected articles - load new batch

Image 1
The previous location of AleSmith Brewing Company in San Diego

San Diego County, California, has been called "the Craft Beer Capital of America". As of 2018^[update], the county was home to 155 licensed craft breweries – the most of any county in the United States. Based on 2016 sales volume, three San Diego County breweries – Stone, Green Flash, and Karl Strauss – rank among the 50 largest craft brewers in the United States. San Diego County brewers pioneered the specialty beer style known as Double India Pale Ale (Double IPA), sometimes called San Diego Pale Ale. Its beer culture is a draw for tourism, particularly during major festivals such as San Diego Beer Week and the San Diego International Beer Competition. San Diego County breweries including Stone Brewing Co., AleSmith Brewing Company and Ballast Point Brewing Company are consistently rated among the top breweries in the world. (Full article...)
Image 2
Bergenhus microbrewery, Bergen, Norway

Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.

The microbrewery movement began in both the United States and United Kingdom in the 1970s, although traditional artisanal brewing existed in Europe for centuries and subsequently spread to other countries. As the movement grew, and some breweries expanded their production and distribution, the more encompassing concept of craft brewing emerged. A brewpub is a pub that brews its own beer for sale on the premises. (Full article...)
Image 3

Colonies of yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis on agar plates containing phloxine B

Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae, and is often colloquially referred to as "Brett". The genus name Dekkera is used interchangeably with Brettanomyces, as it describes the teleomorph or spore forming form of the yeast, but is considered deprecated under the one fungus, one name change. The cellular morphology of the yeast can vary from ovoid to long "sausage" shaped cells. The yeast is acidogenic, and when grown on glucose rich media under aerobic conditions, produces large amounts of acetic acid. Brettanomyces is important to both the brewing and wine industries due to the sensory compounds it produces.

In the wild, Brettanomyces lives on the skins of fruit. (Full article...)
Image 4
Bottles of beers from several Canadian-based breweries placed on a table being used to play beer pong

Beer was introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century. The first commercial brewery was La Brasseries du Roy started by New France Intendant Jean Talon, in Québec City in 1668. Many commercial brewers thrived until prohibition in Canada. The provincial and federal governments' attempt to eliminate "intoxicating" beverages led to the closing of nearly three quarters of breweries between 1878 and 1928. It was only in the second half of the twentieth century that a significant number of new breweries opened up. The Canadian beer industry now plays an important role in Canadian identity, although globalization of the brewing industry has seen the major players in Canada acquired by or merged with foreign companies, notably its three largest beer producers: Labatt, Molson and Sleeman. The result is that Moosehead, with an estimated 3.8 percent share of the domestic market in 2016, has become the largest fully Canadian-owned brewer.

Beer sales have been sluggish overall in volume and in growth in industry revenue as other beverages have increased in popularity. Growth in revenue for beer makers averaged 1.3 per cent per year during 2011-2016; the estimated annual growth over the subsequent five years is only 0.4 percent per annum. Nonetheless, the number of licensed breweries in Canada increased from 310 in 2010 to 640 in 2015. Many of these are small operations since there were only 30 large (making over 7.5 million litres per year) breweries in 2015. (Full article...)
Image 5
San Miguel Pale Pilsen

Beer in the Philippines is mainly produced by two large breweries, San Miguel Corporation, which produces San Miguel Pale Pilsen, and Asia Brewery, the country's second-largest brewery. In addition, there are a number of microbreweries across the nation.

Beer is the most-consumed alcoholic beverage in the Philippines and amounted to a 70% share of the domestic alcoholic drink market in terms of volume during 2005. Between 2003 and 2004, the Philippines had the world's fastest beer consumption growth rate at 15.6%. With a rise in consumption volume from 1.22 to 1.41 million liters, it was the 22nd largest beer market in the world in 2004. Consumption per capita averages 20 liters per year. (Full article...)
Image 6
Wooden firkin from Bass Brewery, Burton upon Trent

The Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood (SPBW), founded in 1963, is the oldest consumer-based group interested in stimulating the brewing of, increasing the awareness of, and encouraging the drinking of traditional cask ale. The Society also supports and encourages the use of wooden casks for beer dispense. (Full article...)
Image 7
Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, the archetype for modern saisons

Saison (French, "season," French pronunciation: [sɛzɔ̃]) is a pale-colored ale that is highly carbonated, dry, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high levels of alcohol. Along with several other varieties, it is generally classified as a farmhouse ale. (Full article...)
Image 8
A bag of wheat, often used as an adjunct

In brewing, adjuncts are unmalted grains (such as barley, wheat, maize, rice, rye, and oats) or grain products used in brewing beer which supplement the main mash ingredient (such as malted barley). This is often done with the intention of cutting costs, but sometimes also to create an additional feature, such as better foam retention, flavours or nutritional value or additives. Both solid and liquid adjuncts are commonly used. (Full article...)
Image 9
Epic pale ale

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in New Zealand, accounting for 63% of available alcohol for sale. At around 64.7 litres per person per annum, New Zealand is ranked 27th in global beer consumption per capita. The vast majority of beer produced in New Zealand is a type of lager, either pale or amber in colour, and typically 4–5% alcohol by volume.

Although the two largest breweries in New Zealand, Lion Nathan and DB Breweries, control almost 90% of sales by volume between them, there are over 150 smaller craft breweries and brewpubs producing a vast range of beer styles, including many ales. (Full article...)
Image 10
Beer brewed following a 13th-century recipe using gruit herbs

Gruit (pronounced /ˈɡraɪt/; alternately grut or gruyt) is a herb mixture used for bittering and flavouring beer, popular before the extensive use of hops. The terms gruit and grut ale may also refer to the beverage produced using gruit. Today, however, gruit is a colloquial term applied to a beer seasoned with gruit-like herbs. (Full article...)
Image 11
A Kranz (wreath) of fresh Kölsch beer that is typically carried by a server ("Köbes"), containing traditional Stange glasses and, in the center, larger modern glasses

Beer (‹See Tfd›German: Bier pronounced [biːɐ̯] ) is a major part of German culture. Only water, hops, yeast and malt are permitted[who?] as ingredients in its production. Beers not exclusively using barley-malt, such as wheat beer, must be top-fermented.

In 2020, Germany ranked third in Europe in terms of per-capita beer consumption, trailing behind the Czech Republic and Austria. (Full article...)
Image 12
A beer sommelier tapping a barrel for a taste at Nebraska Brewing Company

A beer sommelier, also known as a cicerone in the United States, is a trained professional, working in the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industry, who specializes in the service and knowledge of beer, similar to a traditional wine sommelier. The knowledge required for certification includes an understanding of styles, brewing, ingredients, history of beer and brewing, glassware, beer service, draught systems, beer tasting, and food pairings. The profession is relatively new but growing. (Full article...)
Image 13

Beer (known as bia in Swahili) and alcohol is an integral part of Tanzanian society and local brands hold a strong sense of national pride among the Tanzanian population. There is a considerable amount of brewing and drinking done in the country. Tanzania ranks 6th in Africa for beer consumption and contributes to over 3% of the African consumption. However, over 90% of the national consumption is either homemade or from the informal sector. Bottled beer is expensive for the majority of the population and is almost 6 times more expensive than the maize beers. Nonetheless, beer sales and taxes are a vital part of the Tanzanian economy.

Beer is largely dominated by Tanzania Breweries Limited and East African Breweries Limited under the local company Serengeti Breweries Limited. Both companies have some of the largest revenues in the country and are listed on the stock exchange. Tanzania Breweries Limited is the largest taxpayer in the country and made over 3 trillion Tanzanian shillings in revenue in 2022. (Full article...)
Image 14
Köstritzer Schwarzbier
Schwarzbier (German: [ˈʃvaʁt͡sˌbiːɐ̯] lit. 'black beer') is a dark lager that originated in Germany. It has an opaque, black colour with hints of chocolate or coffee flavours, and is generally around 5% ABV. It is similar to stout in that it is made from roasted malt, which gives it its dark colour. (Full article...)
Image 15

Craft beer at the Taedonggang Microbrewery No. 3 in Pyongyang

North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company.

The country's problems with goods distribution and power output have forced North Korean brewers to innovate. To minimize distribution, many restaurants and hotels maintain their own microbreweries. Because unreliable power supply makes it difficult to refrigerate beer, North Koreans have developed their own steam beer, an originally American beer style brewed in higher than normal temperatures, that is widely available. (Full article...)

More selected articles

Selected brand - show another

Miller Lite is a 4.2% ABV light American lager beer sold by Molson Coors (previously MillerCoors) of Chicago, Illinois. It was first produced in 1975. The company also produces Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Miller Lite competes mainly with Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light. Miller Lite is the official beer sponsor of the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Bellator MMA. (Full article...)

List of selected brands

Selected biography - show another

William Henry Clark (c.1815–1870) was an early settler and brewer in Adelaide, in the Colony of South Australia. He was the founder of the Halifax Street Brewery around 1844 (sold in 1856), and in 1859 was responsible for the building of a brewery at the western end of Hindley Street. However he fell into insolvency, leaving the state in 1860 to avoid his debtors, and the Hindley Street brewery taken over by William Knox Simms, later becoming the West End Brewery. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

Did you know (auto-generated) - load more entries

... that a beer named after the barley variety Golden Promise was not brewed using the variety?
... that brewer Sophie de Ronde is allergic to most beer?
... that Jaega Wise co-hosted the television series Beer Masters alongside musician James Blunt?
... that the patu clubs on the New Zealand threepence were compared to bottles of ginger beer?
... that Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority general manager Phillip Eng brews his own beer?
... that 100 beerhouses were licensed in Brighton (population 40,000) in the first week after the Beerhouse Act 1830 was enacted?

edit

Selected brewery - show another

The page "Portal:Beer/Sandbox/Selected brewery/20" does not exist.

edit

Selected image - show another

The page "Portal:Beer/Sandbox/Selected picture/13" does not exist.

General images

The following are images from various beer- and brewing-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Caledonian Brewery, founded in 1869, Edinburgh, Scotland (from History of beer)
Image 2Conditioning tanks at Anchor Brewing Company (from Brewing)
Image 3A yard of ale at Jolly Brewery, Taiwan (from Craft beer)
Image 4A can of Juicy Ass IPA from Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery in Barrie, Ontario, Canada (from Craft beer)
Image 5Open vessels showing fermentation taking place (from Brewing)
Image 6Pasteur Street Brewing, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (from Craft beer)
Image 7Castaña, a smoked beer with chestnuts from Cerex in Extremadura, Spain (from Craft beer)
Image 8Mexican craft beer from Tequixquiac in Zumpango Region (from Craft beer)
Image 9Bill Urquhart at Litchborough Brewery (from Craft beer)
Image 10Lauter tun (from Brewing)
Image 11Modern closed fermentation vessels (from Brewing)
Image 12Dogo Beer from Minakuchi-shuzō microbrewery in Matsuyama, Japan (from Craft beer)
Image 13A funerary model of a bakery and brewery, from the Eleventh dynasty of Egypt, c. 2009–1998 BCE (from History of beer)
Image 14Brew kettles at Brasserie La Choulette in France (from Brewing)
Image 15Spent grain, a brewing by-product (from Brewing)
Image 16Philistine pottery beer jug (from History of beer)
Image 17Craft brewing at Allagash in Portland, Maine (from Craft beer)
Image 18The Alulu beer receipt records a purchase of "best" beer from a brewer, c. 2050 BC from the Sumerian city of Umma in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). (from Brewing)
Image 19Alulu beer receipt recording a purchase of "best" beer from a brewer, c. 2050 BCE, from the Sumerian city of Umma in ancient Iraq. (from History of beer)
Image 20Robohop, a session IPA from Cervisiam in Oslo, Norway (from Craft beer)
Image 21Cask ales with gravity dispense at a beer festival (from Brewing)
Image 22Põhjala Brewery, Estonia (from Craft beer)
Image 23Gambrinus – king of beer (from History of beer)
Image 24Diatomaceous earth, used to create a filtration bed (from Brewing)
Image 25World beer consumption per capita (from History of beer)
Image 26Smoked beer from the Schlenkerla brewpub in Bamberg, Germany (from Craft beer)
Image 27A 16th-century brewery (from History of beer)
Image 28Spontaneous fermentation at Timmermans in Belgium (from Brewing)
Image 29D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest operating brewing company in the US, established in 1829. It is also the largest craft brewer, and the 6th largest brewing company overall. (from Craft beer)
Image 30A selection of French craft beers (from Craft beer)
Image 31A replica of ancient Egyptian beer, brewed from emmer wheat by the Courage brewery in 1996 (from History of beer)
Image 32Zoigl beers from the communal brewhouses of Oberpfalz in Germany (from Craft beer)
Image 33Bergenhus microbrewery, Bergen, Norway (from Craft beer)
Image 34Irish Craft Beer Festival, 2015 (from Craft beer)
Image 35Steamworks Brewing, Vancouver (from Craft beer)
Image 36Traditional fermenting building (center) and modern fermenting building (left) in Pilsner Urquell Brewery (Czech Republic) (from History of beer)
Image 37A beer sommelier tapping a barrel for a taste at Nebraska Brewing Company (from Craft beer)
Image 38Bottling beer in a modern facility, 1945, Australia (from History of beer)
Image 39Malted barley before kilning or roasting (from Brewing)
Image 40Rock mortars in Raqefet Cave, used to make beer during the Stone Age. (from History of beer)
Image 41A growler of beer from Flounder Brewing, a nanobrewery in New Jersey, US (from Craft beer)
Image 42Great Leap Brewing operates a chain of brewpubs in China (from Craft beer)
Image 43Hop cone grown in a hop field, Hallertau, Germany (from Brewing)
Image 44A 16th-century brewery (from Brewing)
Image 45A mash tun at the Bass Museum in Burton-upon-Trent (from Brewing)
Image 46A hydrometer measures beer's specific gravity (from History of beer)
Image 47Casks of real ale from British microbreweries at a beer festival (from Craft beer)
Image 48Microbreweries, regional breweries, and brew pubs per capita (from Craft beer)
Image 49Yeast ring used by Swedish homebrewers in the 19th century to preserve the yeast between brewing sessions. (from History of beer)