SL
Ko govorimo o velikih odkritjih človeštva, pogosto omenimo ogenj, kolo in pismenost. A obstaja teorija, ki pravi, da je prav pivo sprožilo največjo spremembo v naši zgodovini – prehod iz nomadskega nabiralništva v stalno naseljeno civilizacijo.
Že pred več kot 11.000 leti so v današnji Turčiji našli sledove fermentiranega žita v obrednih posodah. Morda so ljudje žito začeli gojiti ne zato, da bi pekli kruh, temveč zato, da bi lahko varili pivo. Želja po varjenju je pomenila poljedelstvo, poljedelstvo je pomenilo naselja, naselja so pomenila trgovino, davke, zakone in – civilizacijo.
Prvi pravi mojstri piva so bili Sumerci. Kuhali so gosto, kašasto pivo, ga pili s slamico in ga slavili v hvalnici boginji Ninkasi – prvi zapisani “recept” za pivo na svetu. Babilonci so pivovarstvo razširili in ga vključili celo v zakone: kazen za nepravilno točenje je bila stroga. Stari Egipčani so pivo pili vsak dan, ga uporabljali kot plačilo delavcem in kot zdravilo.
V antični Grčiji in Rimu je vladalo vino, a pivo se je ohranilo na severu Evrope, kjer so ga v srednjem veku izpopolnjevali menihi – dodali so mu hmelj, razvili boljše metode varjenja in ga spremenili v pijačo, kot jo poznamo danes.
Zgodovina piva je pravzaprav zgodovina nas samih – od ritualov, preko vsakodnevne hrane, do obrtne umetnosti in industrije. Danes je pivo predvsem užitek, družabnost in del kulturne dediščine.
EN
When we talk about humanity’s greatest discoveries, we often mention fire, the wheel, and writing. But there’s a theory suggesting that beer may have triggered the greatest shift of all — the move from nomadic foraging to settled civilization.
More than 11,000 years ago, traces of fermented grain were found in ritual vessels in what is now Turkey. Perhaps people started cultivating grain not to bake bread, but to brew beer. The desire to brew meant agriculture; agriculture led to settlements; settlements brought trade, taxes, laws — and civilization itself.
The first true beer masters were the Sumerians. They brewed a thick, porridge-like beer, drank it through straws, and celebrated it in a hymn to the goddess Ninkasi — the world’s first recorded “recipe.” The Babylonians expanded brewing and even wrote it into their laws: punishments for serving short measures were severe. The ancient Egyptians drank beer daily, used it as wages for workers, and as medicine.
In ancient Greece and Rome, wine dominated, but beer survived in northern Europe, where medieval monks refined it — adding hops, improving techniques, and turning it into the drink we know today.
The history of beer is, in many ways, the history of ourselves — from sacred rituals, through daily sustenance, to craft artistry and industry. Today, beer is mostly about enjoyment, friendship, and cultural heritage.