History of Beer in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 24, 2026

Beer is an alcoholic beverage created by brewing and fermenting starches, typically from malted barley, though other grains can be used. The process involves mashing the grain to convert starches into sugars, creating wort. Yeast ferments the wort, producing ethanol and carbonation. Beer is a widely consumed drink, often brewed with hops for bitterness, flavor, preservation, and stabilization. Other flavorings like herbs or fruits may be added. Commercial brewing frequently replaces natural carbonation with forced carbonation.

1912: Introduction of Brown Beer Bottles

In 1912, the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, started using brown bottles. This innovation was adopted worldwide to prevent light degradation of beer quality and stability.

1973: CAMRA Coined the Term 'Real Ale'

In 1973, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) coined the term 'real ale' to describe beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.

1974: Ebla Tablets Discovery

In 1974, the Ebla tablets were discovered in Ebla, Syria. These tablets indicated that beer was produced in the city as early as 2500 BC.

1975: Christine Fell Suggests Beer was Originally a Sweet Drink

In 1975, Christine Fell suggested that the Old English/Norse word bēor originally denoted a strong, sweet drink, similar to mead or cider, and not ale or beer.

1994: Hair of the Dog's Dave

In 1994, Hair of the Dog's Dave, a 29% ABV barley wine used the fractional freezing method.

1994: Vetter 33 listed in Guinness Book of World Records

In 1994, Vetter 33, a 10.5% ABV doppelbock, was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the strongest beer at that time.

2001: Canned Beer Sales in Sweden

In Sweden, in 2001, 63.9% of beer sales were in cans.

2002: SAB Buys Miller Brewing Company

In 2002, South African Breweries acquired the North American Miller Brewing Company, forming SABMiller, which became the second-largest brewery.

2004: Link Between Binge Drinking and Beer Belly Found

A 2004 study linked binge drinking to the development of a beer belly.

2004: Interbrew and AmBev Merger

In 2004, Belgian Interbrew, the third-largest brewery, and Brazilian AmBev, the fifth-largest, merged to create InBev, becoming the largest brewery.

2006: Global Beer Revenue

As of 2006, over 133 billion liters of beer were sold annually, generating global revenues of US$294.5 billion.

2007: SABMiller Acquires Royal Grolsch

In 2007, SABMiller surpassed InBev and Anheuser-Busch by acquiring Royal Grolsch, the brewer of the Dutch brand Grolsch.

2008: InBev Buys Anheuser-Busch

In 2008, InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch, creating Anheuser-Busch InBev, which became the largest brewer globally.

July 2010: Dutch Brewery Jokes about Strongest Beer

In July 2010, a Dutch brewery jokingly claimed a 60% ABV blend of beer and whiskey as the strongest beer.

2010: 'Full Aperture' Can Developed

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Crown Holdings developed the 'full aperture' can, where the entire lid is removed during opening, turning the can into a drinking cup.

2010: China's Beer Consumption

In 2010, China's beer consumption reached 450 billion liters, nearly double that of the United States, with only 5% being premium beers.

September 2011: BrewDog Produces Ghost Deer

In September 2011, the Scottish brewery BrewDog produced Ghost Deer, claiming it to be the world's strongest beer produced by fermentation alone, with an ABV of 28%.

2011: Schorschbru00e4u's Schorschbock 57 Claimed as Strongest Beer

In 2011, Schorschbru00e4u's Schorschbock 57, with 57.5% ABV, was claimed to be the strongest beer made.

2018: Systematic Analysis Finds Increased Mortality with Ethanol Consumption

A 2018 systematic analysis found that ethanol consumption increases the mortality rate.

2018: Study on Barley Production and Beer Availability

In 2018, a study suggested that reduced barley production due to drought and heat could cause significant instability in beer availability and price.

2020: AB InBev Ranked Largest Brewing Company

As of 2020, market research firm Technavio ranked AB InBev as the largest brewing company, followed by Heineken, CR Snow, Carlsberg, and Molson Coors.