Important Advancements Because of Beer

Today on Weird History Food, we're talking 10 surprising innovations brought to us by beer

Before fridges, large chunks of ice had to be delivered by an ice guy and stored in a basement

As an employee at the Spotten Brewery in Munich, Carl von Linde thought he could use electricity to power mechanical refrigeration

One of the earliest examples of large-scale mechanical productions came from two men making long-necked beer bottles

Michael Joseph Owens, creator of the bottling machine, teamed up with Libby

glass, and the two found massive success with their automated bottle builder. The process of

pasteurization, which is now commonly associated with milk, actually started with beer. Louis Pasteur

was trying to solve a problem for local breweries, who were tired of their beer going sour

It also helped create the scientific germ theory. James Jewell owned a brewery, and one day noticed

that his barreled beer was colder than the air surrounding it. There was still no way to measure the heat of gases

So, Jule thought to himself, maybe if we just add mercury. As it turns out, mercury thermometers were much more accurate than the air thermometers

currently being used at the time. pH levels measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance

Every liquid from water to the gunk in the human body has an optimal pH level How do we know that Because some Danish brewers back in the early 19th century got annoyed that they couldn consistently measure beer

Another measuring tool we have beer to thank for is the tea test

It's basically a way to understand if two things are the same or different

But, you know, more science-y. Joseph Priestley figured out how to replicate carbon dioxide bubbles

sands the alcohol, leading to the creation of all other fuzzy pops

like soda, Elster, Mike's harder lemonade, you name it. The age of exploration

It was a time when brave sailor set off into the unknown, seeking new lands and new riches

So the rations on board had to last for months. Water would spoil below deck

But beer was a reliable source of hydration that wouldn't go bad

When the first settlers came to America, one of their key concerns was getting sick because they had to drink water

But in 1630, a bunch of the Puritans and the Virginians. Genia Colony began brewing beer themselves

It was literally a lifesaver for the colonists. The philosophical doctrine that's had a huge impact on the world for over a century might

never have come about if it weren't for a legendary beer drinking session between two friends

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels embarked on a 10-day marathon of beer-soaked discussions

It was during these long, hazy sessions that Engels and Marx broke down and formulated

the basis of what would be the Communist Manifesto