Origin of beer

About 4,000 years old, Sumerians in Mesopotamia originated beer. A woman put barley and dough outdoors to make bread for her husband, and they were exposed to rain.
Saccharides in barley and dough were dissolved in rain, bound with yeast in air, and then it became beer. After some days, this mush was found having a sour smell and it was known to contains a certain ingredient which made people feel good. The mush became popular as „liquid bread‟ and it became widespread over barley-rich regions.
Afterwards, barley was cultivated in Egypt and beer has been brewed since the 4th dynasty of Egypt. The brewing method was introduced to Europe through Greece and Rome, and it was developed and popularized in Germany and the UK, which are the main production areas of two-rowed barley. The current scientific name of beer yeast fungus originates from the Roman Era when beer was referred to as „Cerevisia‟.
However, at that time, the „hops‟, which gave beer its characteristic bitter odor, was not yet common, and yeast fungus was fermented naturally like wine, and not cultured.

In Europe, beer was brewed at monasteries as household industry first. However, large-scale plants were arisen as developing machine industry.

Hop was added into beer from the tenth century, and German Weissbier was first produced in Nuremberg in 1541. English ale and porter was produced from the eighth century.
At that time, all beer was made using the top-fermenting method. Top-fermenting is when yeast floats on the top of a fermentation tank (similarly with brewing method of Makgeolli). Top-fermenting happens at room temperature.
Conversely, bottom-fermenting requires relatively cool temperatures. A cooling technique is required for this, but there were not any cooling techniques before the 19th century
Weissbier, Alt ale and Porter was produced by top-fermenting method. Most beers produced through the top-fermenting method are dark and murky. The name, Weissbier, was also originated from its white color comparing other dark and murky beers.
In the mid-19th century, beers using bottom-fermenting were produced. Josef Groll, a German brewer, produced it at a brewery in Pilsen, Czech. The beer was made using the unique water of Pilsen, low temperature of the beer fermentation room and limestone surrounding the room. It had a blight gold color, unlike the existing beers. And the taste was simple. It had a richer-hop than odor of malt. This has become a widespread sensation throughout the world, and has become one of world‟s best-loved beers using a cooling technique.
Brewers in Munich who had held an unchallenged position in the European beer industry had become conscious of the crisis due to the challenge of pilsener beer, and they started to develop their techniques. This gave rise to a much „simpler‟ South German pilsener beer and helles lager beer. Helles lager beer is one of most popular lagers and it is soft and light. The beer was instantly introduced into U.S, and U.S brewers produced beers with sacharides from corn.