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Ale and beer brewing England

Beer and its consumption through the ages

If there is one drink that has been appreciated in England since the dawn of time, it is beer. Beer has been brewed in this region since Romano-Celtic times and it has always had an important place in British Culture. Initially, it was only appreciated as a drink, but in the Middle Ages beer was more than just a drink. Because of the poor diet and the high risk of water contamination, beer was both a food and a source of drinking water. Beer brewing, however, remained an artisanal activity until the 18th century. The first industrial breweries appeared. It was not until the 20th century, however, that alcohol percentage regulation was introduced.

Brewing nowadays

If there's one country that can boast of a brewing industry, it's the United Kingdom. Of the 40 countries with the most breweries in the world per million inhabitants, the United Kingdom holds a good share of the places. Wales ranks third, England sixth, Scotland ninth and Ireland is in 21st place. And it is worth mentioning that these are just the microbreweries. In total, in the United Kingdom there are 1437 microbreweries, of which 1230 are in England alone. If we add to this list the mega breweries, it is easy to see that interest in this drink is far from waning. The beers are also varied. Although England cannot compare itself to Belgium, it does not have much to envy it.