Around the World on a Stool

By John Wymann

Owner of Mollies, Europa's & N'Orleans

Long in the shadow of the world's most successful brewery, one would not suspect Cape of supporting a deep offering of imported beers. One would be surprised. With expanding availability and increased consumer awareness, beers from all over the world are finding, loyal customers within our community.

The brewing of beer started sometime around 3,500 B.C. and is thought to be one of the reasons that our hunter, gatherer forefathers decided to settle down. The Sumerians, the earliest recorded brewers. are said to have had a goddess of the stuff, Ninkasi, to whom they paid homage. The Babylonians picked up where the Sumerians left off and actually became the first exporters of beer by trading with Egypt. Quality was assured by King Hammurabi who decreed that the punishment for serving poor quality beer was death by drowning. As the civilized world expanded, so did the market for beer. This ancient brew has played a significant role in the culture of nations, and continues to do so today.

A tale of two cities. London England, home of the Fuller brewery, is famous world wide for its

comfortable pubs and great ales. The fuller lineup is widely available in this area and is touted as the "benchmark for British ales". This title has not gone uncontested, however, with the Sarnuel Smith brewery from Yorkshire claiming that it's 250 years of experience give it the right to be -England's Finest". Both breweries produce several ales, porters and stouts. Bass beer makes no claims of producing the best beer in England; it is nonetheless the reigning king of British imports.

Irelands contribution to beer lovers is the revered Guinness Stout. This dark and tasty brew was the brainchild of one Arthur Guinness. While experimenting in a decaying brewery on St. James Street in Dublin, Guinness obsessed with a dark brew made from roasted barley. First brewed in 1759, Guinness stout is now one of the most recognized beers in the world. Other Irish beers available locally include Murphy's Irish Stout and Harps Lager.

Abbey brewed beers are the gift of Belgium. Available in three "tiers" from singles, or the common visitors' beer, to triples, the strongest in flavor and alcohol reserved for the Abbots and distinguished guests, these beers exemplify the Belgian art of brewing. One widely heralded example is Chimay, brewed by Trappist monks in the old tradition; this is a beer that is sure to please.

Germany is credited with excellent beers and perhaps the first consumer protection law. In 1516 the Reinheitsgebot decreed that to ensure quality and purity in German brews that brewers would use only malt, hops and water in their beer, upon penalty to body and property. German brewers still adhere to these standards and their quality is legendary. St. Pauli Girl and Becks are two of Germany's leading exports with Warsteiner gaining in connoisseur circles.

Best known for Heineken, the Netherlands produce a number of beers for export, favorites include Amstel and Grolsch. Outside of Belgium, the only remaining Trappist brewery is in Koningshoeven, in the Netherlands, established in 1885 to help pay for the monastery's construction, this brewery produces about 21,000 barrels a year of La Trappe, a bottle conditioned Abbey ale. Hard to find, but said to be spiritual.

International travel has increased our awareness of a number of beers that we would not otherwise have been exposed to. Mexican beers like Tecate and Pacifico are as common locally as any. New importers are bringing us beers from Africa and the Far East. Although individually these beers will never be as popular as our own Budweiser, it's nice to know that they are available and prospering as a whole.

Beers, as with all alcoholic beverages, are best enjoyed after your 21st birthday.