Beer glasses in one form or another have been around since beer was first brewed; from the Germans with their steins to the pub glasses of England, Ireland and America. Beer glasses have varied widely across regions and times, but beer glasses have always been a vital part of the beer drinking experience.
Not only has beer been enjoyed for millennia, it also has been proven to have great health benefits. Beer has been shown to have many of the same health benefits as wine. Studies show that moderate consumption of beer reduces chances of strokes, heart and cardiovascular disease. As a matter of fact, the grains in beer contain vitamins and antioxidants that survive the brewing and filtering processes better than the antioxidants in wine. It also important to note that beer has one of the highest energy contents of any food or drink, so drinking moderate amounts of beer can actually help you lose weight! Not only can beer help you lose weight, it also has the power to help reverse cellular damage. It has been found that consumption of dark beer is a great reversal of natural cellular damage that occurs in the body. Hops are a big factor in these health benefits, hops are loaded with polyphenols; and hoppy brews help fight cancer, lower cholesterol and kill viruses. So, next time you are searching for a gift for that heard to shop for person keep in mind that there are many great beer gift ideas, from actual craft beers to beer glass sets, give the gift of health and happiness!
OK, so you know that beer has been around since ancient times and has great health benefits, but how about the famous people through history who have advocated beer consumption? Famous people and beer date back to the time that history was recorded…Plato in ancient Greece was quoted as saying “he was a wise man who invented beer.” Ben Franklin has been cited with the famous line “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Even Winston Churchill, while Secretary of War in 1944, stated “Make sure that the beer – four pints a week – goes to the troops under fire before any of the parties in the rear get a drop.” So in point of fact beer has played a pivotal role in the history of the world and with some it’s most notable people. Just as beer and the people that drink it have evolved so have the beer glasses that serve this fine drink. Beer glasses today are designed to bring out the colors, aromas and carbonation of a beer and maximize the experience. A good beer glass set that is carefully put together is a great beer gift idea and will allow a person to enjoy a whole array of different styles of beer the way that beer was intended to be drank by its maker.
The beer industry today is as strong as ever. There are 5 major brewers that control most of the beer consumption in the United States. The 5 largest brewers in the US in order are:
1.Anheuser-Busch Inc.
2. Miller Coors Brewing Co.
3. Pabst
4. D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc.
5. Boston Beer Co.
However, the numbers of craft brewers are growing quickly in the Unites States. There were 1,759 registered breweries in the US operating during 2010. This number has grown from under 100 breweries in just 30 years! Small independent brewers make up this sharp increase in brewery numbers. These brewers care about their products, ingredients and take great pride in their craft. They want to share their brews with consumers that truly appreciate them. A growing number of brewers is a great thing for the beer industry. (An industry currently controlled by the major players that use multi-million dollar mass marketing and inferior processed ingredients to sale quantity not quality. Not all brewers above are guilty of this, but none the less, a major change needed in the industry. ) It is my hope that this influx of smaller brewers will increase competition, take the majority market share from the majors and force them to re-tool their strategies and create better products. This can help open the eyes of the American public to how enjoyable a good craft beer can be!
So, go out and enjoy yourself a delicious beer in a proper beer glass. Remember to use moderation and try and choose a good craft beer with high quality ingredients. If you are not sure what beer glass goes best with a certain brew there are many complete beer glass sets being sold online and they make great beer gift ideas. Cheers!