There’s no way to attribute the invention of beer to a particular individual, culture, or time period, but historians believe fermented beverages have a deep history. A very deep history. According to History.com, the first fermented beverages likely emerged when the development of cereal agriculture began roughly 12,000 years ago. Historians believe that the shift from hunter-gatherer tribes to agrarian civilizations based on crops like wheat, barley, and rice led to the discovery of fermentation. That discovery paved the way for beer to be brewed.
History.com notes that the first barley beer was most likely created in the Middle East, and ceramic vessels that date back to 3400 B.C. were discovered in Mesopotamia. These vessels, which might be considered a precursor to the modern beer mug, still contained some sticky substance that archaeologists believe was the residue of beer. Beer lovers who have ever found themselves loudly touting the virtues of beer, especially after having a few of these beloved beverages, should know that such boasts also are deeply rooted in tradition. The 1800 B.C. “Hymn to Ninkasi,” an ode to the Sumerian goddess of beer, includes a beer recipe.
