Template:July Biotechnology article

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced through the fermentation of cereal sugars, and which is not distilled after fermentation. The unfermented sugar solution, called wort, is obtained from steeping, or "mashing," malted cereal grains, usually barley. Alcoholic beverages made from the fermentation of sugars derived from non-grain sources — fruit juices or honey, for example — are generally not called "beer," despite being produced by the same yeast-based biochemical reaction.

The process of beer production is called brewing. Brewing dates back to at least the 5th millennium BC (prior even to writing), and is recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Because the ingredients and procedures used to make beer can differ, beer characteristics such as taste and colour may also vary. While local names for beers made with the same methods and ingredients may vary, the similarities of method and ingredients can be detected to form a study of the nature of beer styles.