If you doubt the importance of BEER in history read on...

It was the accepted practice in Babylonia 4,000 years ago that
for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply
his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey
beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was
called the "honey month" or what we know today as the
"honeymoon."

Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or
finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding
yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn't grow. Too hot, and the
yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the
phrase "rule of thumb." Granted there are several variations of
where "rule of thumb" originated, but hey, it helps this tale
flow!

Beer was the reason the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It's
clear from the Mayflower's log that the crew didn't want to waste
beer looking for a better site. The log goes on to state that the
passengers "were hasted ashore and made to drink water that the
seamen might have the more beer."

After consuming a bucket or two of vibrant brew they called aul,
or ale, the Vikings would head fearlessly into battle often
without armor or even shirts. In fact, the term "berserk" means
"bare shirt" in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of
their wild battles.

In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water down
the navy's rum. Needless to say, the sailors weren't too pleased
and called Admiral Vernon "Old Grog," after the stiff wool
grogram coats he wore. The term "grog" soon began to mean the
watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you
were "groggy."

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked
into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a
refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your
whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Now you can appreciate the importance of BEER throughout
history...