« »

Payday Came and With It a Beer

The advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end.

– Henry Ellsworth, 1843


It is rumored that at sometime during the middle of the 19th century an official at the U. S. Patent Office resigned because, he claimed, there was nothing left to invent.

Around this time, historically speaking, an old Royal Navy brig dubbed the H.M.S. Beagle, which previously held only the distinction of being Her Majesty’s first Ship to sail under the London Bridge, carried with it a young naturalist around Cape Horn. After crossing three of the world’s four ocean’s, the five-year voyage would culminate with the discovery, or invention, of a dangerous idea. On the species problem, progress was made.

Payday came and with it a beer. Perhaps human improvement must not end.

On the homestretch of the Beagle’s return to England, perhaps in the southeasterly portion of the South Atlantic near the Cape of Good Hope, the soon-to-be historically renowned vessel likely passed in the night other British ships bound for colonial India carrying with them in their hulls rations and supplies that no longer included hogsheads of stale, flat, musty and sour beer. For decades, the sea’s chop and the temperature fluctuations of long voayges had been hell on beer and man.

But man and its brewing evolved. Over the years luck, hops, and high alcohol content would prevail and the species would discover, or invent, a way.

It is rumored that at sometime during the early part of the 19th century a brewer at the Bow Brewery in East London invented India Pale Ale, a highly hopped, high alcohol variety of ale that would withstand long voyages to warm climates. Much evidence, however, suggests that like the resignation of the U.S. Patent Office official, Hodgson’s “invention” was only rumor. Nonetheless, on the “Great Beer Problem,” progress was made.

The emergence of ideas, inventions, and discoveries, whether in science or  brewing (there’s little difference between the two, anyway) is often more complex than the historical record. The quality of an invention is of less import than the time and place. Perhaps the lighter pale ales just tasted better than the more common dark porters (which apparently survived the seas voyage quite well) on the the Indian subcontinent.  Perhaps Darwin’s dangerous idea, inspired by many seemingly random events on the voyage of the Beagle, just tasted better there and then, too.

History makes theories and ales just as much as ales and theories make history.

6 responses to “Payday Came and With It a Beer”

  1. Avatar savewaterdrinkbeer says:

    burp.

  2. Avatar The Tailor says:

    mmmmm…..beer.

  3. Avatar llxt says:

    a Toast to this post! "may all your paydays come with beer" 🙂

  4. Those who take Acai Balance can trim their waist line in just a few short weeks.
    This is due to a proϲess called non-ѕҺivering tҺеrmogenesis.
    They are simply about three of the finest cardiovascular for
    weight reduction exercises that one could tackle in order
    to be healthier, to shed weight also to increase your physical
    expertise including endurance and also power.

  5. Avatar online music says:

    I think the admin of this site is really working hard in favor of his site, as
    here every information is quality based information.

  6. I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s
    both educative and entertaining, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head.
    The issue is something which too few people are
    speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I stumbled across this in my search for
    something regarding this.

Leave a Reply to savewaterdrinkbeer Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

« »
RSS | Contact | Contribute | Login

Issues

December 2010
Paradox
November 2010
On My Honor
October 2010
Witch Hunt
September 2010
If, Then.
May 2010
Small Crimes
April 2010
Intoxication
February 2010
"It's Complicated"
January 2010
Awakenings