The County Brewers

You see beer commercials all over the place. You probably even have your favorite, especially if you’re a chest pounding, sports watching brute of a he-man. The only thing you really care about is getting your hands on a nice cold brew. But did you ever sit down and wonder who the top beer manufacturers actually are? Of course not. That’s why you’re reading what’s about to follow as we reveal the top beer manufacturers in the world today.

The top five beer manufacturers have quite a few surprises, especially for those of you who are glued to your TV and see nothing but ads for Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, Molson, Schlitz and the whole cast of characters that follow one bad B-Movie after another.

Well, would it surprise you to know that the fifth largest beer manufacturer in the world is Inbev? Who? You heard right. This worldwide company comes in at number five. They own a ton of premium brands like Beck’s. Ah, yes, now you know who they are. They also manufacture a few specialty brands like Belle-Vue. Okay, so maybe you’re not so familiar with that one. This company sells most of their beer in America, Europe and Asia.

Coming in at number 4 on the hit parade of brews is Scottish & Newcastle. In case you’re not familiar with them, they actually make a lot of other drinks besides beer, including water, cider and even soft drinks. Talk about diversifying. Their main markets are in the United Kingdom and Europe. They export their beer to over 60 countries. Their main base of operations is in Edinburgh.
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Some countries of the world are renowned for their abilities to produce fine wines, while others are better known for their capabilities at brewing beer. Which countries consume the most beer though?

Living in the UK, I often feel rather fortunate that we have such a good supply of varied beers available to us. No other country is probably as well known for its pub culture.

The tradition of brewing also goes back many years here, as it does in much of Europe. In years gone by, most large scale brewing in what is now Great Britain would have been carried out in this country’s monasteries and abbeys.

In more recent times, the influx of continental lagers has changed the drinking habits of many people here. As the UK market has been swamped by popular overseas brands, such as Stella Artois, Heineken and Fosters, there has been a lot of consolidation within the brewery industry.

Fortunately, the resurgence in sales of real ales that we’ve seen in the past ten years has also seen a lot of new breweries appearing on the scene. Many of us are now able to benefit from the presence of a relatively local brewery.

So has this helped Britain to top the charts in terms of beer drinking? If we look at the average number of litres of beer consumed by someone in this country within a year then we find that the figure stands at a hefty 95.6 litres. That’s the equivalent of 168 pints per year.
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Brewing your own beer at home is a pastime which is gaining popularity at a rapid pace throughout the world today. If you were curious as to the ingredients which make up the favorite beers that you consume, brewing your own beer from home will give you all that information and more.

There are absolutely no harsh chemicals utilized in brewing beer from home, and all the natural ingredients are very easy for you to locate and purchase online as well as offline in order to brew your own beer. You can utilize virtually any basic beer brewing recipe and alter the process to adjust the resulting flavor and taste of the beer you brew – customized, brewed beer from home to suit your particular taste.

After perfecting the process of making your own beer, you will undoubtedly create a beer flavor that you can truly enjoy along with family and friends. All of us possess our own unique and personal taste preferences, and as you alter, adjust, and tweak the variety of available recipes, it is possible to brew a beer that is perfect for your taste. The amount of alcohol content can even be customized in home brewed beer, by changing the length of time you allow your home brewed beer to ferment and to ‘transform’ itself once you have added the proper amount of yeast to the mixture.

To begin your trek in brewing beer from home, it is highly recommended, if not absolutely necessary, that you purchase a home beer brewing kit as well as a home brewing guide. Once you have a good home beer brewing kit and home brewing guide, learning how all the professional home brewers make beer will become natural to you. Gradually, more tips and tricks for making your own beer will come to fruition, so that the beer you brew at home will be infinitely better from the get go.
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If you have always wanted to make beer at your own home, here is a way you can. It is not at all as difficult as some of the people make it sound. Actually, you can have loads of fun while making it and its serves as tasting beer that can make you proud. The process of making beer at home can be made easier by buying a brewing kit that is available at many stores.

The following ingredients are required if you intend on brewing your beer at home. You need to have water, malt extract and brewers yeast. As the malt extracts are usually in syrup form, they can be liquid. When it comes to storage, the dry extracts last longer than the liquid ones. There are a number of extracts that you can choose from. Ordering the ingredients online is a great idea if you want to save time and the effort of searching for these items.

One fact that not many people are aware of is that water is almost entirely involved in the making of beer. Spring water is preferred, though equally good results can be achieved by using tap water. Another important part of the beer making is yeast. It is the yeast that ferments the sugars and malts into alcohol. It is the yeast that is responsible for the release of carbon dioxide.
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