Although the Egyptians, who seem! to have forestalled the world in 30 many things, are supposed to have discovered the merits of ale 4,000 years ago, beer is to British thinkers: and drinkers "a peculiarly national beverage. This harmless little vanity must be put on record in spite of the fact that Belgians can claim preced-fence as beer.drinkers and there are some who hold that none can brew beer like Germans. The comment is per-Uinent because 1995 marks the five hundredth anniversary of the definite adoption of hops for the brewing English ale. Before 1435 hops had been tentatively used and from game beer, ale being, strictly speak Ing, the product of malt liquor. Of course, both Britons and Saxons could brew ale and the Romans helped those natives of the British isles to improve the processes, w! reeull that, by the time of Henry 11, English monasteries had a great reputation for the excellence of their brew "even on the Continent. Burton's famous waters became known to the "trade" in the 14th century, as the Fesult of devoted monastic research. 'The abbots of Burton made their' own malt and, in the mill leases which they granted, it was laid down that the lessees should ground their malt free of charge. King Henry Vi was a stout champion of brewers for, {in 1436, his royal writ commanded sheriffs to dissipate the groundless aspersion that "blore" was unwholesome. Indeed, the royal mentor observed, it was wholesome and spe-dally so in summer time. That this opinion has prevailed is evident from. the fact that the Brewers' Company has been in existence since that very year. In 19% nearly £54 millions was paid in Excise duty on English beer and 259,000 cwt of hops, cover. ing an acreage of 18037 acres, were grown in England,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.