The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-09
LAGER-lEER.
The Manufacture of the Bev-
eTage-Efs Chemical COnsfitu-
eMtS-EtS Effects. "-"
fFrom the New York Times I

ents-Ets Effects. @-
lFrom the New York Times ]
There is capital Of over 100000
600 invested in the manufacture Of
lager-beer in this country. Lager-beer,
as it is manufactured by the German
brewers, is fermented beverage, and
consists of the extract of malt tbarley
terminated by watering process and
then dried in 9 Eiln) and hops and wa
Ter, in which both of the first named
ingredients are boiled. 1t derives its
name from the custom in Germany of
brewing it only in winter and slowing
it away, or laying back, that part of
which is destined to be consumed du-
ring the simmer months, in large, cool
vaults or cellers, the German word lager
havingthe definition Of" stock, ""s store '
and "stand." There are three kinds of
the beverage, viz Winter beer, which
is brewed and consumed during the
winter, the lager-beer proper, and book
beer, which contains more malt extract
than lager-beer and is therefore the
strongest Of the three. The chemical
constituents of lager-beer are, according
to Prof. Justus Won Liebig, the re-
nowned German chemist, as follows ::
Alcohol from 90 to 5 per cent solid
substances, as starch-gum, sugar and
vegetable albumen, from A to 8 per
cent; carbonic acid from OILS to 0.18
per cent water from SS.5 to 90 per
cent. The proportion Of alcohol con-
tanned in it is small, as appears from
the above analysis, and in this respect
it widely differs fiom distilled liquors.
Lager-beer is a spirituous beverage,
and is intoxicating if taken in excessive
quantities. According to Liebig's doc
crime it produces in the human body
nothing but fat. Moteschott, the well
known German naturalist, says that
good lager-beer is just as nutritious as
fruits are. The hop-bitter contained in
lager-beer, according to some authorities,
imparts to it tonic properties, which
make it an invigorating beverage. La
GERBER, these authorities assert, favors
The process of digestion by increasing
the quantity Of digestive secretions in
the stomach and strengthens the mus
cular activity, when relaxed by sickness
or long ezertion. Good lager-beer is
considered by prominent German ply
siologists quite as healthful to the hu-
man body, as tea and coffee. On the
other hand, hop-bitter has .somnolent
effect It prevents the beverage from
getting sour. Lager beer seems to be
altogether German invention, and
even in this country its manufacture is
exclusively in the hands of Germans.
Large quantities Of it are brewed every
winter. and even, to some extent during
the summer, in places where there is q
large German population---for instance,
in this city, in Newark, N. j., in Phil.
adelphia. Baltimore, Cincinnati, St
Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and many
smaller places, chiefly at the West. The
lager-besr brewed and sold at Milwaukee
Wis. is considered the best and the cheap.
est in this country. It is the opinion oi
experienced brewers that the quality
and taste Of lager-beer depend to some
degree upon the water used for it
The sensible Germans of the MD coun
try as well as this, like those Of all other
nations, consider fresh water the best
and healthiest of all drinks. If they
feel inclined to take something stronger
when exhausted by hard work or as 9
matter Of social custom, they peter wine
to lager.beer. But the wine is more ex'
pensive. As rule, however, they pre-
fer fermented lager-beer TO whiskey and
other distilled liquors. The quantity
of lager-beer consumed in this city il
relatively larger than in any other city
in the Union, although it cannot BE-
| maintained that the Germans Of Abis
city individually drink more lager-beel
than the Germans of Cincinnati, ct
Louis or Chicago. Besides the home
made beverage, lager.beer manufactured
| at Newark, n. j.. Philadelphia, Cinein
| natl, Toledo, Ohio, and other places O.
this country. and sometimes even for
eign lager-beer imported from Germany
| is drank In this city.