How Beer Saved The World

When it comes to adult beverages, beer has been a solid fan favorite for centuries. Trendy drinks may come and go, but beer has stuck it out through much of human history. No matter what your brew of choice may be, whether you sip from a can or treat yourself from a tap, chances are there's a lot you don't know about your favorite beer. Beer has a long history of making our lives better, but many happy drinkers don't realize just how much we owe to a good, strong beer. From ancient Egypt to medieval Europe to America as we know it, beer has helped to shape the course of history. Crazy as it seems, beer has impacted everything from commerce to science to medicine. It was used as payment for workers in ancient Egypt, anesthetic for women in labor in medieval Europe, and it even allowed Louis Pasteur to discover the existence of bacteria. Babies were baptized in it, people of all ages indulged in it, and when the water grew unclean (as it often did) drinking beer saved lives. Many of America's founding fathers loved and brewed their own beer, and today thousands of independent and micro-breweries are following suit. With such a long legacy in its wake, who knows what discoveries beer could help foster in the years to come. Sure it's tasty, but the world's favorite adult drink has also helped to fuel the course of life, science, and medicine as we know it. So next time you raise your glass, pause and ask the question, "without beer, where would we be now?"

Let this slideshow take you on a visual journey of how beer has positively effected the world.

Thanks to the folks at Online Bachelor Degree Programs for this finely brewed Infographic.