2006-06-21 05:42:19 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
Evidence (mainly beer jugs) for intentionally fermented alcoholic drinks date back to around 10,000 BC during the Neolithic period of human history. The first documentation describing how to make alcohol dates to 1900 BC with the cuneiform tablets that describe making Ninkasi beer. Lots of information here:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1114796842.html
2006-06-21 06:28:53 · answer #1 · answered by hindejo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is an excellent site called "beer history" that answers the history of alcohol in early times. Link is below. But I tend to think the first alcoholic beverage was probably mead, which is fermented honey wine. The first fermentations were wild and they didn't discover that yeast (servomyces) was doing this until Carlsberg Brewery started a lab to do research. I imagine a scenario that went something like this:
Scene: 15,000 BC, a couple of neolithic tribesmen out for the hunt.
Og: That bear easy to kill.
Grog: He act funny - head stuck in hollow tree.
Og: That bear stupid.
Grog: Hey - tree full of sticky sweet stuff we find with bees.
Og: Those bees hurt.
Grog: But sticky stuff good. No bees here.
Og: Stuff good. Bees bad.
Grog: Bear drank water in hollow tree.
Og: Og thirsty.
Grog: Me no drink bear water. You drink. Og stupid.
Og: Og Drink it. Og drink anything.
Grog: Og, why you walk so funny?
Og: Bear water good! Bear not stupid.
Grog: Og, get head out. Let Grog drink...
Og: Bear water good! Move village here. Give women bear water.
Grog: Og not so stupid.
2006-06-21 08:36:02 · answer #2 · answered by Beer Enthusiast 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If u want to be technical about it, animals have been getting drunk off of fermented berries for god knows how long! so i would suppose that the little furry forrest creatures discovered alcohol far before us!
2006-06-21 08:58:51 · answer #3 · answered by stillatello 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they say the egyptians were the first to make beer - it's through a fermenting process, so I am sure that some smart dude stumbled upon its effects by accident - like leaving a drink they were making in the sun!
2006-06-21 05:45:35 · answer #4 · answered by Sharp Marble 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dyonisis - the God of wine in Greek Mythology
2006-06-21 05:44:56 · answer #5 · answered by suheilly13 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋