Beer

Fun facts about beer

Think you know beer? Think again! Next time you’re sharing a beer or two with your mates, impress and amaze them by dropping a few of these random fact bombs into the conversation.

  1. In Anglo-Saxon, medieval Britain, most beer was made by women, known as brewsters. The best in the village often turned their homes into an early version of a pub. Maybe that’s a trend to bring back!
  2. How much do Kiwis love beer? There are 257 breweries in New Zealand, that’s more per capita than the UK, Australia and the US! Can we get a gold medal for this? #champions
  3. The moon has a crater named Beer. While we’d love to believe it’s an astronomical tribute to a good brew, it is in fact named after early 19th Century German astronomer Wilhelm Beer. Who do we talk to about having a crater named Export?
  4. The brewing industry supports 7,000 jobs in New Zealand. That includes the brewers and those who supply the ingredients.
  5. Oktoberfest started as a festival to celebrate the 1810 marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. That really is the gift that keeps on giving.
  6. Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an empty glass. Something we can probably all relate to now and then.
  7. While most beer companies use vertical tank fermenters, Heineken opts for horizontal tanks to create the perfect conditions for its unique A-yeast. It’s what gives the famous beer its rich, balanced taste.
  8. Beer helped English smarty pants Joseph Priestley discover oxygen in 1774, when he noticed gases rising from big vats of beer. It sparked a lifetime investigation into the chemistry of gases.
  9. The first record of beer being brewed in NZ is in 1770 when Captain Cook brewed a batch using rimu branches and leaves to try to ward off scurvy in his crew.