Knowledge HUB - What is Beer (from Wikipedia)

Beer is one of the world's oldest alcoholic beverages, very likely first produced over 6000 years ago.[citation needed] It is a fermented beverage made from malted barley, hops, yeast and water, and is carbonated in almost all cases. By altering the production method (changes in time and temperature, for example) or the ingredients, a staggeringly wide variety of different types of beer can be produced. Much like fine wines, many beers can also be aged and evolve into beverages that defy the common definitions of beer.
HISTORY OF BEER
Beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BC (prior even to writing), and recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. As almost any substance containing carbohydrates, namely sugar or starch, can naturally undergo fermentation, it is likely that beer-like beverages were independently invented among various cultures throughout the world.
In Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant, large-scale production of beer was common.[citation needed] In Europe, beer largely remained a homemaker's activity, made in the home in medieval times. By the 14th and 15th centuries, beermaking was gradually changing from a family-oriented activity to an artisanal one, with pubs and monasteries brewing their own beer for mass consumption.
Today, the brewing industry is a huge global business, consisting of several multinational companies, and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries.