Check out our 16 boozy beer facts for International Beer Day, and wait for all this to blow over

Today is International Beer Day, or Friday as some might just call it.

Started in 2007, it was originally held on August 5th each year but, in 2013, was moved to the first Friday of the month so the celebrations started going into the weekend. To commemorate the day, we’ve rounded up some fun beer facts to get the party started. Cheers!

1. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks. There is evidence that suggests it was brewed in Israel as early as 13,000 years ago.

2. In ancient times, brewing was often done by women. In both Egyptian and Viking cultures, women were responsible for brewing beer for religious ceremonies. 

3. In medieval England, women brewers were known as alewives. They brewed and sold ale, and were responsible for tasting and approving ales. 

4. Over time, particularly in Europe, brewing began to shift towards a male-dominated field, with women brewers facing accusations of witchcraft.

5. The oldest surviving beer recipe is in a Sumerian poem dedicated to the goddess of brewing, Ninkasi. 

6. In ancient times, beer was used as currency in some societies. Builders of the ‘Great Pyramids’ in Egypt were paid in beer. 

7. In the Middle Ages, beer was healthier than water. As water was often contaminated it posed a lot of health risks. Beer was fairly cheap and so was drunk instead.

8. All over the world humans consume 50 billion gallons of beer each year. 

9. Beer is the third most-consumed drink in the world, after water and tea. 

10. The Czech Republic consumes the most beer per capita. China actually consumes the most beer overall, but the Czech Republic leads in consumption per person (with an average of 181.9 litres per person per year).

11. The Czech Republic was the first country ever to have a beer museum. 

12. The biggest beer festival in the world is called Oktoberfest and is held annually in Germany. It takes place over 16-18 days, about 6 million people visit, and approximately 5-7 million litres of beer are consumed. 

13. The Schloss Starkenberger brewery in Tarrentz, Austria was home to the world’s first beer swimming pools (but unfortunately the pools are now closed) 

14. The strongest beer in the world is called ‘Snake Venom’ with a 67.5% alcohol content. It is brewed by Brewmeister, a Scottish brewery.

15. McDonald’s has beer on their menu in countries such as France, Germany, Portugal and South Korea. 

16. Studies suggest that moderate consumption of beer may be linked to a reduced risk of kidney stones and certain heart conditions.

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