Light, crisp and easy-drinking, lager is enjoyed the world over. And while today it is brewed in many countries, rewind 150 years and the only country able to successfully brew lager was the German state of Prussia.
In 1870, French microbiologist Louis Pasteur set out to topple Germany’s monopoly of lager brewing in an act of vengeful chemical engineering.
In his lab, Pasteur set out to create ‘superbeer’ by applying his vast knowledge of microbiology to beer fermentation. Using his namesake process of pasteurisation - the process of heat treating liquids to stop bacterial contamination - he showed that gently heating beer for a short time could kill organisms, making it far more palatable and longer lasting.
He shared his techniques with European breweries and soon easy to produce and long-lived lagers would take over the brewing world. Pasteur could gain some satisfaction in having successfully brewed his ‘Beer of Revenge’ and playing a small part in toppling Germany’s lager monopoly...