How an unremarkable country came to dominate the world with the remarkable, a...

Terrence Miao - 2012-01-25 03:39:55+1100 - Updated: 2012-01-25 03:39:55+1100

How an unremarkable country came to dominate the world with the remarkable, almost a national religion, arguable the best beer in the world.

Brewed force

Dean Budd - 2012-01-25 09:26:57+1100

I +1'd that before I even read it...

Dean Budd - 2012-01-25 14:38:42+1100

Monastic brewers were disinclined or prevented from using [hops] - the church deemed hops the “fruit of the devil”. One explanation for this attitude might be the monopolies granted to bishops over the gruyt (as the mixture of herbs and spices was known) that went into beer. An intense medieval PR campaign was waged in the battle between gruyt and secular hops. Wow!