How lager conquered the world: Food historian argues it globally dominated because it’s ‘clean’

National Post ^ | March 11, 2016 | Joseph Brean

[rickmichaels]

Like a Big Mac or a Coke, a Budweiser is one of the global economy’s more reliable pleasures, cheaply available almost everywhere.

Historically, like the double-pattie burger and the iconic cola, the global dominance of light, fizzy, relatively bland, central European-style lager — from Budweiser to Molson and Corona — relied as much on cleanliness and consistency as it did on taste, as anyone who has tasted a Bud can tell you.

In a talk to a gastronomy conference at the University of Toronto Mississauga this weekend, food historian Jeffrey Pilcher will argue that lager conquered the world, after first conquering ale, because it was viewed as clean in an age preoccupied with hygiene.

In Language of Beer: Sensory and Social Constructions in the Rise of a Global Commodity, he also describes how the modern craft beer trend has risen in resistance to this gastronomic hegemony.

Lager is basically the McDonald’s of beer. It is safe, dependable, but most importantly, it seems clean, because it is bottom fermented at cold temperatures, unlike ale, which is brewed warm, in a more inviting environment for pathogens.

In the 19th century, as international trade kicked into high gear, the global popularity of lager “resulted from associations with discourses of hygiene,” writes Pilcher, professor of historical and cultural studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

In an interview, Pilcher points out that Louis Pasteur — the grandfather of germ control, whose technique of heating liquids to make them safe to drink made possible many modern commodity beverages, from milk to juice — was a lager man, praising its microbiological safety.

[Rebelbase]

There are 20+ breweries within 1/2 hour of here and only one makes a lager. It’s a constant battle of insults with my kids who like the hopped up crap of the brew fashionistas and call me a beer neanderthal for liking a good old fashioned and hearty lager.

[Squantos]

Czech’s make a budweiser or made and sold when I was stationed in Italy that had a massive alcohol content ...... equal to a stateside six pack pretty much.

It was great !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery

[Squantos]

my post #22...... just saw your reference. Love that stuff.

[AFreeBird]

I read somewhere that lager came from the new world. The lager yeast that is. Tough not purposely.

[wildbill]

Like wines and hard spirits, there are various brews that have distinctly different tastes if you care to experiment.

I’m not talking about those silly bottlings like ‘pumpkin pie beer’ that Sam Adams puts out to increase sales on a seasonal basis. I bought a 12 pack sampler of their various brews once and found most undrinkable, the worst being one that was meant to resemble the taste of char broiled grill. UGH!

Several years ago I found that the lowly Pabst Blue Ribbon went really well with a good steak. Who knew?

[ameribbean expat]

Don’t know for sure, may be because I’m so far south- eg, I’ve got a case of Rooney’s Irish out of Da Burgh for St Patty’s Day festivities instead of Guiness...too hot for the dark stuff— like the German Kolsch beers and Shiner Bock out of Tx. The Munich Helles style beers are also good hot weather beers. Everyday beer? Coors. Regular, not light. No respect for men who drink lite beers.

[LibWhacker]

American craft IPAs are sooo good according to my taste buds. And there are so many excellent ones to choose from.

[TexasTransplant]

How Beer Saved the World

http://www.documentarywire.com/how-beer-saved-the-world/

[Pelham]

The waiter brought a tray

[gleeaikin]

Here is a link on health benefits of hops. India Pale Ale is even mentioned by name. Some other articles point out that beer may reduce male hormones while aiding female hormones. One article even pointed out that some Christian groups favored hopped beer because it made men more tranquil, and peace loving. [not this article] http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401672/Health-Benefits-of-Hops.html This sentence regarding the anti-bacterial properties of hops is from an extensive link on hops possible effect on female hormone production: "The α-acids occur in beers in concentrations up to 4 mg/ml and contribute to foam stability as well as imparting antibacterial properties (Verzele and de Keukeleire, 1991)." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1852439/

[gleeaikin]

I have no idea why my two links at comment #30 did not show up as separate red, clickable lines. Will try again.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401672/Health-Benefits-of-Hops.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1852439/

[gundog]

Here is a link on health benefits of hops.

Can't happen...hops is related to marijuana.

[uglybiker]

...I would rather drink fermented skunk urine

Oh, a Heineken fan, I see. :-P

[Bigg Red]

I wonder how many quips and puns I will be forced to BEER on this thread.

[Larry Lucido]

Beer puns are good for what ales you.

[Bigg Red]

I see you are in good spirits.

[Slip18]

Does Fiji have beer?

Hi, old FRiend!

[dsrtsage]

“Oh, a Heineken fan, I see. :-P”

I spent several months in Oman last year. The only place to get beer was at the hotels. Though I should have been thankful I could get beer at all, the only stuff available was Heineken or Fosters or worse, ugggghhhhh

[ThanhPhero]

I prefer beers that are heavy on the hops or heavy on the malt, either way but not Bud. I tried a "light" beer once but gave up the type. It tasted very like club soda with soft bubbles.

[Mariner]

"I prefer beers that are heavy on the hops or heavy on the malt"

There are dozens of lagers that meet those specs, but Bud aint one of them.

ANYTHING from Germany or the Czech Republic should be tried.