1. Did you know that both Rutgers University and Vassar College were founded by brewer benefactors?
2. There were over 20 different kinds of beer recipes engraved on clay tablets found in modern-day Iraq, dating all the way back to 3000-2000 BCE.
3. Allegedly, the word "bridal" originates from 19th-century England, when men would take their pals out for a final "bride ale" the day before the wedding.
4. Fill 'er up, Sam! Bet you had no idea that "cenosillicaphobia" is the fear of an empty glass.
5. Apparently the phrase "wet your whistle" comes from England as well. Pub patrons were served in mugs with whistles baked right into the rim. When the bartender heard the magic sound, it was time for a refill.
6. Scientist Louis Pasteur studied beer and fermentation, which not only helped us understand the brewing process, but also led to the invention of pasteurization and treatments for smallpox and polio.
7. Guess what? There are usually less calories in an American pale lager pint than a cup of 2% milk.
Apple juice, too!
8. In 1516, Rheinheitsgebot (or German Beer Purity Law) made it a criminal act to brew beer with "anything but barley, hops, and pure water."
9. That little red triangle which is part of the Bass logo is one of the oldest trademarks in the world.
10. Can you believe that, thanks to Prohibition, home brewing was actually illegal in the U.S. until President Carter signed a bill overturning the law in 1978?
11. A beer has kinda technically been made in space. Yes... space.
12. If one of your hobbies includes collecting beer bottles, you can go right ahead and start calling yourself a "labeorphilist."
13. We all know that yeast is a key ingredient in beer, but who had any idea that "brewer's yeast was one of 500 species," which could parent thousands of different strains?
14. George Washington loved beer so much, he had his own not-so-secret recipe. Thanks to documentation, you can even brew it yourself!
Brought to you by Brew Dogs. A brand-new 10-city tour of the nation's best breweries starts June 25 9|8c on Esquire Network.
