I'm promarily an ale guy myself, sometimes a stoutin the winter. I like my brew to have some body, and not too cold.
Last night I was reading an interesting BBC article:
The messages that survived civilisation's collapse
which included this:
More than 2,000 years ago, in a temple in the city of Borsippa in ancient Mesopotamia, in what is now modern-day Iraq, a student was doing his homework. His name was Nabu-kusurshu, and he was training to be a temple brewer. His duties involved brewing beer for religious offerings...
(why don't they have jobs like this today?)
...Cuneiform had already been around for roughly 3,000 years by the time Nabu-kusurshu picked up his reed stylus. It was invented by the Sumerians, who initially used it to record rations of food – and indeed, beer – paid to workers or delivered to temples. Over time, the Sumerian texts became more complex, recording beautiful myths and songs – including one celebrating the goddess of brewing, Ninkasi, and her skilled use of
"the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound".
Goddess of brewing? I'll drink to that
From the Hymn to Nikasi (link at the end, above)
"...You place the fermenting vat, which makes a pleasant sound, appropriately on top of a large collector vat...
It is you who pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat; it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates.... it is like the onrush of the Tigris and the Euphrates..."
