In the Middle Ages, brewing became a specialty of the European monasteries, which needed a dietary supplement for the meager meals of the monks. Soon the monasteries began commercial production of beer, experimenting not just with hops but with various plants and herbs that offered special tastes and at times, hallucinatory visions. By the mid-19th century, the French scientist Louis Pasteur realized that heating alcohol to high temperatures could kill undesirable bacteria and prolong beer's storage time. Though his discovery is more famous for its application to milk, Pasteur's purpose was to find a remedy to the souring of beer and wine, which at the time was a significant economic problem in France. Today, virtually all the beer brewed and sold in Israel is lager.
Beer also has a place in Jewish tradition.
The Talmud discusses beers made of barley, figs and blackberries, and from barley and dates. Beer was popular among Jews in Babylon and was even used in ceremonies such as the havdallah prayer at the end of Shabbat. Rabbis visiting from other lands were skeptical of such practices, but they accepted beer, believing that it was the wine of the land. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.