Best documentary ever.

[starcanuck64]

I saw a documentary last night on the history of beer:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832368/

Some of things it credits beer with.

- The invention of agriculture(in the Fertile Crescent anyway), barley was one of the first crops grown and residue from jars that predate bread making by several thousand years point to beer as one of the products from the grain.

- Writing, math, map making, commerce and more resulted from the production, transportation and sale of beer.

- Beer was a staple food in ancient Egypt, everybody drank it including children and workers building the Pyramids received 1 gallon a day of beer.

- Human bone samples from ancient Egypt show traces of tetracycline and the reproduction of the recipe for beer making in that time indicates it was the source. Not only was beer nutritious, it also was an ancient medicine.

- Beer saved millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. The water was unsafe to drink and the boiling that was part of the process to make beer killed off harmful pathogens. People on average drank about 300 litres of beer a year.

It goes on from there to modern times and the role beer played in the founding and evolution of America.

I should have included a poll, maybe Swift can add one.

[NEOWatcher]

I should have included a poll, maybe Swift can add one.

What's the point? It would only have one option... "Beer"

[starcanuck64]

What's the point? It would only have one option... "Beer"

There would be no point other than to vote for beer.

[Swift]

- Beer saved millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages. The water was unsafe to drink and the boiling that was part of the process to make beer killed off harmful pathogens. People on average drank about 300 litres of beer a year.

There is still some truth to that. During our visit to Costa Rica, we were advised not to drink the local tap water, but bottle water and beer were safe.

I should have included a poll, maybe Swift can add one.

Sorry, can't modify threads to add a poll after the fact.

[starcanuck64]

There is still some truth to that. During our visit to Costa Rica, we were advised not to drink the local tap water, but bottle water and beer were safe.

In the show they took water from a duck pond and used it to make beer from the recipe used in Europe during the Middle Ages. It was tested before the brewing process and was full of E. Coli and other bad bugs. After the boiling and brewing process it was clean.