Nine Thousand Years of Imbibing

Would you believe that we have been drinking beer now for Nine Thousand Years!

I was sad recently, to be unable to make the journey to Stevie’s Bar in Kucukerenköy  to listen to Keith Lloyd give a talk on the history of beer. Lucky for me I had been with Keith before when he gave the same talk in Ozanköy, so I am sharing this past event with you as no doubt a number of you will not have been present either.

“It seems like a life time ago when I used to go to CAMRA Real Ale events in my home town of Ongar in Essex, so it was a real thrill to learn that Keith Lloyd was giving a talk on the history of beer in The Old Mill, Ozanköy recently.

My partner Margaret and I, had been on the go all day with interviews, photo shoots and preparation of articles for your enjoyment before we arrived tired and hungry at the Old Mill to hear the talk. Problem Yok, Billy the Chef rustled up a piping hot dish of chicken curry for me and an off menu, vegetable curry for Margaret which was delicious and brought us back to life ready and willing for the tales to come.

The grand master of presentation, Keith, bid all guests to visit the bar to receive their free beer courtesy of EFES and their local representative Cemal and then, with commanding tones Keith brought the audience back together and regaled them with the “History of Beer”.

Would you believe that we have been drinking beer now for Nine Thousand Years with the voluptuous Samarian Goddess of Alcohol “Ninkasi” being credited with the introduction of the drink of beer for Gods and Barbarians? Both she and her daily brews were said to “Satisfy Desire and Sate the Heart”.

What a fascinating time trip this was with a slide show to beat all others and it showed how through the passage of time where beer was discovered and developed and it is only during the past few years that large-scale beer manufacturing has moved away from those traditional methods and our favourite tipples from years gone by are no longer made.

Ninkasi and her contemporaries may have given birth to beer but through the ages, so many other countries and cultures held beer in great esteem and reverence and it was strange how women seem to be in charge of manufacture, serving or promoting those mystic and mysterious potions perhaps with the intent of keeping their men folk in order.

Moving forward in time Keith showed us many images and we saw and enjoyed how beer became the friend of man with perhaps occasional attempts to ban it.  

Yes for me I recall those grand warm ales from around the shires that would arrive in my home town and how the locals would become very happy and relaxed after consuming the god’s gift handed down by the fair maiden, Ninkasi and her contemporaries. One thing is sure from those distant days to the present very often Boobs and Booze were tied together.

Thank you Keith, for a brilliant show and history lesson and also for making the appeal for The Royal British Legion Kyrenia Branch to raise donations as part of the International RBL, which provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have either served or are presently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependents. Sights and scenes shown of Afghanistan make you realise the sacrifices made and the help that is required.

Thank you also to Major Brian Thomas, BEM, Branch Chairman and Les Evans, Vice Chair for being at the Old Mill to receive the boxed donations on behalf of Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch.”

For those of our readers who get the chance to go and listen to this talk some time at another venue, you will not be disappointed.

To read more click here The History of Beer

For information on this talk contact Keith Lloyd via Facebook.

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 By Chris ELLIOTT