Beer has been produced from around 4000 BC and was produced by the Sumerian people, and was seen as a godly drink, brewed for enjoyment and was the "drink of the divine". It was fermented with wild yeast that already exists in the air, which was already a technique used for making bread. The main reason it is so popular today is the result of two main time periods, which are around the medieval period, and around the industrial revolution. Beer was extremely popular drink in the medieval period, no longer seen as a "divine" drink, it was seen as a social pastime and was popular among all social classes. This increased popularity and social standing of beer allowed it to grow to the large industry it is today, increasing the demand of beer. The industrial revolution increased the efficiency of all production and this included beer, with more beer being made at one time, with less time to complete a batch. This increased the supply capabilities of the beer industry and with increased supply and demand the beer industry has grown to a global cultural necessity for most countries.

 

Beer itself has evolved into many types as different cultures learnt how to produce beer, and using what is available to them. One prime example is from Germany where ale was hard to produce during winter when it got too cold for the yeast to reproduce and ferment the beer. Even when heated, the mixture didnt ferment as much as the yeast floated to the top of the mixture where the cold air was. The solution was to use a local form of yeast which had adapted to the cold temperature, sinking to the bottom of the beer mixture away from the cold. This produced a different form of beer which is today called "Lager". The beer is cold matured and uses a yeast that can reproduce and live at these temperature and so creates a distinctive taste. Different yeasts and different enviromental features lead to all the different forms of beer today.

 

Beer flavouring has evolved also, with simple spices being used throughout history to change the flavour of the brew. The current popular flavouring method is the use of hops in the beer, and took over from the herb called Gruit.