Beer predates wine as one of the oldest known alcoholic beverages (only mead surpasses it in age), and the discovery of the fermentation of grain is closely linked to the transition from a nomadic society to a settled agricultural society during the Neolithic Revolution.
The fermentation of starchy carbohydrates is a more complicated matter, however, than the transformation of grape sugars into alcohol, as a grain’s starch must be converted into sugar before fermentation can begin. Thus, the aim of the brewing process is twofold: the brewer must first derive the wort, a sugar-rich liquid, from malted grain and then the brewer must ferment the wort. Typically, the raw ingredients required for this process are water, yeast, hops, and a starch source. Hops, the dried flower clusters that provide flavor and bitterness to beer, have both preservative and antiseptic qualities that inhibit bacterial growth. This simple formula was detailed as early as 1516, in the Bavarian Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), which codified the three ingredients authorized for beer production as barley, hops, and water. The action of yeast in fermentation was at the time undiscovered, and wheat, a component of Hefe-Weizen and white beer styles, was reserved for the production of bread.
In the modern brewing process, the first step is to create the malted barley, or malt. Barley—the cereal grain of choice for most beers—is steeped in water for approximately two days to promote germination of the grain. Once the grain begins to germinate, or sprout, it is transferred to compartments with controlled temperature and moisture levels. As the sprout grows to nearly an inch in length, the enzyme amylase is produced. Amylase converts the starchy carbohydrates of the grain into the fermentable sugars
Yes, thanks!
Hi Keith, I've edited the text above. I think that the writer was probably just implying that tequila aged over three years would likely be labeled Extra Añejo rather than Añejo. That said, there are often marketing and/or historical reasons that a producer may choose to use a less stringent requirement, and they're not restricted from doing so, as you've noted. Thank you!
Hi Keith Mattrick - thanks for your comments here. All of the typos have been fixed, and we will address the other issues you raise soon!
The section on mezcal includes the following text: ‘but finding a “worm” in a high quality Mezcal is about as likely finding one in a bottle of Bordeaux’. Minor typo: ‘about as likely finding one’ should read ‘about as likely as finding one’.
The section on aging categories for tequila includes the following text: ‘If bottled immediately after distillation, the Tequila is blanco, or silver. Tequila aged 60 days to one year in oak casks will be labeled reposado. Añejo Tequilas are aged even more, to a maximum of three years in cask.’ Is this accurate? Though the Compendium entry for the Tequila DO does not make mention of it, the NORMA Oficial Mexicana indicates that blanco tequila is the only category that faces a maximum aging period (allowing for up to 2 months in oak), whereas the other aging categories (so far I can ascertain) have minimums associated with their aging regimens, not maximums as indicated in the text above. And the minimum for reposado indicated in the NORMA Oficial Mexicana is two months, not sixty days.