40 THOUSAND TYPES OF BEER

The history of beer, which is produced in many different types in different parts of the world and enjoyed by everyone, dates back to very old times. The discovery of wild barley in Mesopotamia in 10,000 BC, when humanity was still hunter-gatherers, is considered the beginning of beer history. A nutritious drink was produced by grinding barley between two stones and mixing it with water, and the remaining liquid was fermented by chance and turned into beer by itself. This drink, which is a kind of beer, began to be consumed daily because it was so popular.

The Sumerians, Hittites and Babylonians began to consume beer frequently. Even the first written law, the Code of Hammurabi, included provisions regarding beer, and the Babylonians produced 20 types of beer with different aromas such as resin and clove.

Over time, it came to Ancient Egypt a little, and from there to Europe in the Middle Ages. The popularity of disease-free beer increased due to the spread of epidemic diseases such as typhoid and cholera caused by the dirty water of the growing and crowded cities in Europe. During the same period, monks began mass production in monasteries and beer became the daily drink of the people. After the industrial revolution and with the development of technology, beer took its current form.

Thanks to Louis Pasteur's work on yeast, beer gained shelf life with pasteurization. In the 1980s, craft beer producers who produced different beers on a small scale emerged against the dominance of large beer producers in the market. Today, thanks to these craft producers, beer diversity continues to increase.

Beer culture has also developed greatly, like wine and whiskey cultures. Beer experts have determined that there are 40,000 varieties of beer today, originating from 140 types.