Nothing beats a glass of frosty suds, and the world knows it. Our preference for a cold one is unprecedented and unmatched. Beer is the world’s leading alcoholic beverage and beats every other drink except for tea and water. As Americans, we each perform our civic duty by downing 23 gallons of beer annually (or weekly, depending on your dedication), but we are far from the biggest consumers of brewski. Who is? Find out by reading our fridge full of beer facts below, then pop open a cold one at the next Last Call Trivia night to celebrate your newfound knowledge!
Beer is one of the earliest recorded prepared beverages, dating back to around 9500 BC. Written records with fermentation recipes have been traced to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, with traces of beer found in pottery. That forgotten beer in the back of your fridge doesn’t seem so old now, does it?
Beer has played an important role throughout world history. Historians have determined that the ancient pyramids were built by slaves, as those workers at Giza received 4 liters of beer per day. Also, the Vikings believed that they would be greeted at Valhalla by a goat whose udders were continuously full of beer. Uh, gross.
Worldwide there are over 20,000 brands of beer, brewed in almost 200 different styles. The country with the most brands of beer? Belgium, with around 1,150.
Sorry beer snobs, but the biggest selling domestic beer in America by far is Bud Light, with over $2 billion in sales last year. Runner up is Coors Light, then Miller Lite. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are Budweiser, Michelob Ultra Light, Natural Light, Busch Light, Busch, Miller High Life, and Keystone Light. It is unknown what percentage of purchases of these fine quality beverages were made with fake I.D.’s.
The health benefits of beer are many. The presence of magnesium in beer keeps the kidneys fit by warding off stones, while the hops in beer have the same cancer-fighting abilities as red wine. The B6 vitamins in beer reduce the risk of heart disease, and we can all attest to the diuretic properties of drinking beer, which rids the body of toxins.
Oh, and the country that drinks the most beer per capita? That would be the Czech Republic, with a heroic 40 gallons consumed by each person every year. That country knows how to party.