Page 21 - All About History - Issue 186-19

Hall of Fame

HILDEGARD VON BINGEN
LOUIS PASTEUR GERMAN 1098-1179

FRENCH 1822-1895 Hildegard was a German Benedictine abbess who

Pasteur’s place in this hall of fame was wrote extensively about natural history and healing.
cemented thanks to his understanding of In Physica, one of her two major medical treatises,
the fermentation process and the discovery she was the first person known to write about the
that the growth of micro-organisms importance of adding hops to beverages like beer
spoiled beverages, including beer. In 1876, to prevent them from spoiling, thereby increasing
Pasteur published his book Études Sur its shelf life. Hildegard also recommended beer over
La Bière, which discussed the diseases of water when the latter had not been purified, and
beer and that fermenting yeast was often she believed that beer made from barley or wheat
could help treat lameness and promote recovery
contaminated with bacteria. This led to
from a cold or stomach flu. However, Hildegard also
him developing the pasteurisation method,
warned that hops increased melancholy in humans.
a heat-treatment process that kills the
pathogenic bacteria and extends the shelf
life of certain food and drink. While Pasteur
did not enjoy drinking beer himself, his
discovery greatly improved the quality of Image source: wiki/Paul Nadar
French-made beers.

NINKASI SUMERIAN

The ancient Sumerian goddess of beer, Ninkasi was celebrated as the
creator of the alcoholic beverage. Beer played an important role in daily Hildegard is
Image source: wiki/Dr Tom L. Lee Ninkasi, which dates back to 1800 BCE and is the oldest known beer of beer thanks to her
life for the Sumerians and one anonymous poet wrote the Hymn To
celebrated as an
recipe to survive. It was likely sung while the beer was being brewed
unofficial patron
and as a female deity, Ninkasi also highlights the role of Sumerian
women, who were responsible for preparing it.

properties of the
JOSEF GROLL BAVARIAN 1813-1887 Image source: wiki/Wellcome Collection work on the medicinal
Groll has gone down in beer history as the first alcohol
person to brew Pilsner, the popular pale lager.
He was the son of a successful brewer and in
1842 was employed at the Burgher Brewery in
the Bohemian city of Plzen, the brewery having ARTHUR GUINNESS IRISH 1725-1803
been built with the aim of creating a better beer. After inheriting £100 from his godfather, Archbishop
It was here where he produced the first golden Dr Arthur Price, Arthur Guinness began his first
Pilsner lager, Pilsner Urquell, by using pale, golden ale brewery in Leixlip in 1755. Four years later, he
malts. Groll’s Pilsner was an immediate success moved to Dublin and founded
and his recipe is still produced today. Three years the legendary Guinness
later, Groll left Plzen and returned to his Bavarian brewery at St James’s Gate
hometown, Vilshofen, where he eventually – which he famously
inherited his father’s brewery. leased for 9,000
years – and started
producing a dark
© Getty Images red dry stout. By

the time he died
THOMAS JEFFERSON in 1803, Guinness’s
brewery was producing
AMERICAN 1743-1826 20,000 barrels of beer a
year. Today, the company
The second Founding Father to make it into this
is one of the most iconic
hall of fame, Jefferson was another American
beer brands in the world
president who loved beer. In fact, it was claimed
and is still producing
for many years that Jefferson drafted some of
Guinness at the
the Declaration of Independence at the Indian
original site, with
Queen Tavern in Philadelphia, although this has
Guinness’s
since been disputed. Following the end of his
signature still
presidency in 1809, Jefferson began brewing and
appearing in Image source: wiki/ Morrison1917
bottling his own beer at his Monticello estate red on every
© Alamy along with his wife, Martha. bottle.

21