There is no magic in making your own hard cider, wine and beer, except for the magic of enjoying the end results.

There is little mystery in all of this. The magic ingredient is patience.

Did you know that beer is one of the oldest products of civilization, and may even have been a stepping stone to the invention of leavened bread?

Did you also know that beer was of major concern for revolutionary thinkers like Thomas Jefferson, who quickly passed legislation to create a healthy beer industry in the new United States. Everything went swimmingly until the dark day in 1920 when Prohibition took effect.

Many breweries went out of business or switched to the production of soda pop. Of course, not everyone stopped drinking, but gangster-controlled operations were not known for high-quality products.

Late in 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which repealed the unpopular law. However, the new breeds of American beer that came after World War II were generally mass-produced and very bland.

Jimmy Carter legalized home brewing, ushering in the age of microbreweries, beer hobbyists, and beer snobs.

Historians believe that the ancient Mesopotamians and Sumerians were brewing as early as 10,000 BC. Although the product would have been somewhat different from today's bottled varieties, it would be recognizable.

The ancient Egyptians and Chinese brewed beer, as did pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas, who used corn instead of barley.

In the middle ages, European monks were the guardians of literature and science, as well as the art of beer making. They refined the process to near perfection and institutionalized the use of hops as a flavoring and preservative.

However, it wasn't until Louis Pasteur came along that a final, important development was made. Until that time, brewers had to depend on wild, airborne yeast for fermentation. By establishing that yeast is a living microorganism, Pasteur opened the gates for accurately controlling the conversion of sugar to alcohol.

While grapes grow well in warm climates, barley grows better in cooler climes. This is how the northern countries of Germany and England became famous for their beers.

This production was taken very seriously, as it was in the New World, where beer was a major component of the Pilgrim's diet.

I was a very serious home vintner for 14 years and the writer of a Home Vintner's Wine Column for two different newspapers during those years.  With that in mind I have written a 15 part series on wine, beer, cider and soft drink making, plus the bonus of showing you how to build your own wine cellar. I h ave added a new section on "How to Host a Wine Tasting Party".

This is a $19.95 value and you can have one for FREE by just paying the s,h,& ins. fee of $6.95. Click here for tons of information on wine and beer making, including info on how to build your own wine cellar. 

COOKING food and wine go hand in hand and you can find great information on this site. Cooking, Food & Wine

For those of us who do not want to be patient or make your own wine and beer, you can check out some of our sponsors below and have your refreshments delivered right to your front door. 

The wine messenger
AKA Gourmet team

And for some goodies to go with it please check out these sponsors.

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Do you have a good wine recipe or wine tasting story? Share it with us and upon review and thinking our readers would like it, we will publish it here.  email to info@learn-america.com and put wine story in the subject line.

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