One of the world’s oldest beverages - Malcolm Purinton (Level 1)

Beer is a very old drink. It is made from grains like corn or rice. People started making beer 13,000 years ago. Different countries used different grains. Making beer has two steps. First, people change the grain into sugar. Second, yeast changes the sugar into alcohol. Long ago, beer was very thick and healthy. It was safer to drink than water because people boiled it. Beer was important in history. In ancient Egypt, people used it in religious festivals. Later, European monks made big amounts of beer for travelers. They started adding green plants called hops. Hops made the beer taste bitter and last longer. Today, there are many kinds of beer. Scientists learned how to use yeast to make new flavors. Now, people even make beer without alcohol.