The latest from Atlas

Monday 11 August 2014

Things you didn't know about beer: who invented beer?

Op uw gezondheid! 
Toasting the original brewmaster next time you raised a glass, in a word, would be impossible. It's pretty difficult to attribute the invention of beer to a specific time in history let alone a person. Mythology offers up some interesting cheers-worthy chaps though...

  • According to Flemish legend it was the mythical King Gambrinus who invented beer. King Gambrinus is celebrated in folklore as an icon of brewing, beer and general joviality. Some stories talk of him having magical brewing powers and legend has it that when he died, his body disappeared and keg of beer magically appeared in it's place. Nice.

  • A famous brand of Czech beer is named after Gambrinus.

  • And speaking of the Czechs. In Czech legend is was the Slavic god of hospitality, Radegast, who invented beer. Radegast also has a Czech beer named after him along with a 1990s Russian black metal band and also a Polish folk metal band!