World History Portal

Beer has been humanity’s traveling companion since before the dawn of agriculture. For millennia, this simple beverage has evolved alongside us, serving as wages and currency, as a source of safe and stable food and drink, as a spiritual stimulant and oath-sealant, and as a spark for industrial and scientific development. Each of these and other uses are accompanied by stories: tales of individuals, communities, and countries whose fortunes rose and fell alongside beer. It is truly humanity's drink: from the lowliest serf to the greatest kings, it has followed and filled us. This module includes two cords: along with learning the history entwined with this beer, we will also explore the craft of homebrewing. As we learn about its various components, we gain an applied-scientific understanding of their purposes and dive deep into the cultures that helped discover their uses. You will gain practical knowledge of how to create delicious beers in your own home, with tips and tricks from an experienced home and professional brewer. The final "project" of each module is to create a style-appropriate beer from a menu of culturally-specific recipes. (Note: While this is a single SPACE module, it is intended to be run as a new course each time, with a different cultural focus and therefore new menu of recipes.) [show less]