Ahem, well, Captain Obvious and all, but my Irish kin are certainly reputed to enjoy the stuff, exporting some of the most popular of beers, such as the widely known Guinness.
How long humans have been making beer is uncertain, but what is known is that beer has been fermented since ancient cultures, at least since the time of Sumer, and his people, the Sumerians. The Sumerians celebrated their fermented libations with documented hymns, such as the following, as translated by Miguel Civil of The Oriental Institute of the University of Chigago):
In the reed buckets there is sweet beer,
I will make cupbearers, boys, and brewers stand by,
While I circle around the abundance of beer,
While I feel wonderful, I feel wonderful,
Drinking beer, in a blissful mood,
Drinking liquor, feeling exhilarated,
With joy in the heart and and a happy liver,
While my heart full of joy,
And my happy liver I cover with a garment fit for a queen!
The heart of Inanna is happy again,
The heart of the queen of heaven is happy again!
The ancient Sumerians sound like a bunch of dancing hobbits in the above song. But, mad props to the Sumerians here: the stuff is indeed great, not only because it's, uh, beer, but also because of its beauty benefits! Yes, indeed: Cleopatra took beer baths, just as many in Eastern Europe today take beer baths. It's said to be great for the hair as a rinse; others claim it's great for beautifying the skin. I have used it as a toner for the skin and I'm a fan, hands down. But what's also great about beer, is that it makes an incredible soap. No harsh, unneeded chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate -- put simply -- beer, used in making soap, means bubbles..
When my Etsy site is launched (sooooooon) such wonderful beer soaps will be available for your bathing pleasure.
My Dragon's Blood Beer soap.
(No dragons were harmed in the making of this soap.)
