It is believed that alcohol regulation was first instituted in ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome. In 594 BC, Greece proscribed the death penalty for drunken magistrates and all wine was ordered to be diluted with water before being sold.

A 3900-year-old Sumerian poem honoring Ninkasi, the patron goddess of brewing, contains the oldest surviving beer recipe, describing the production of beer from barley via bread.

Beer has four basic ingredients: water, grain, hops, and yeast which can be combined in countless variations resulting in different taste, aroma and appearance.

The Puritans sailed to Massachusetts with 42 tons of beer, 10,000 gallons of wine, and 14 tons of water on board.

Beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back at least 10,000 years and recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.