Quote Originally Posted by tombarr View Post
What are Christians doing drinking beer anyway?

Thought it was a sin.
"Catholic"

Monks invented Beer (or at least, the beer we drink today)

Although lager wasn't recognized as a style until the 1800s, it's likely the first lagers were brewed in Bavarian monasteries.

Clever monks discovered the virtues of a bitter herb - hops - that helped to preserve and flavor beer, as well as balance the sweetness of the malt. The monks wanted a great tasting; nutritious drink to serve with their meals and during fasting. Beer was used to satisfy the hungry monks because the consumption of liquids did not break the rules of fasting.

The brewer-monks also discovered that fermenting beers in cool cellars provided clean, delightful brews. The sophisticated new beer was later distinguished from the older ale style with the name "lager" a derivation of the German word lagern, which means, "to store." Their love for the beverage turned into a business. The monasteries eventually opened their own pubs and heavily promoted their great tasting beer.