I remember here in the city where I live, there used to be a number of Breweries, factories, and a host of indurealign stries. One factory in particular that produced auto frames, employed hundreds of workers. Today, as I walk by that factory, I reflect on the thought of seeing Cadillacs, Lincolns, and all types of luxury cars, parked along the streets and parking lots surrounding the factory for blocks. The sound of huge grinders, metal banging against metal, and a myriad of factory machinery could be heard from my child hood home only a few blocks away.

A Ghost Town

Today, as I drive by that same factory, the area resembles a ghost town. Although, cars yet park near the buildings, its just a trickling of what it once used to be. The huge office buildings stand vacant as well as many of the factory buildings, some of which have been torn down. I am amazed that such a flourishing company could just pull up stakes and move away leaving hundreds of families, struggling. Many workers still owing large mortgages, car notes, and promising dreams of providing a good life for their families, in shambles.

An American Dream Diminished

I tell you, it makes one wonder very seriously about the so-called “American Dream” that’s been preached about so much. The “American Dream” seems to have diminished. But I say that though with some reservation, because I’m an optimistic believer that dreams can be revived. One only has to have faith and the belief that God will see us through. We can’t give up because of what our physical eye reveals to us all of the time. Its what we strive for in our inner spirit that makes and keeps us focus.

Don’t Be Discouraged

When it seems you have lost your focus and your dreams seem to dissipate like a mist. Don’t be discourage, realign your goals, be steadfast and accomplish them.

Encourage yourself!

It comes in many different flavors and dazzling colors, something for everyone. There is white, golden, wheat, stout or strong, porter or double bock or even this fabulous green shade reserved for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Alex flickr.com

It is thought that beer was probably brewed even before civilization learned how to bake bread, with Noah probably having his own stash upon the ark according to Professor Linda Raley of Texas Tech University.

In this picture taken from the World Encyclopedia of Beer by Brian Glover the King of Ur and his nobles raise their glasses at a banquet during 2,500 B.C. in toast with what was believed to be beer.

• Babylonian clay tablets dating back to 4300 BC detailed recipes for beer. There were around 20 varieties produced at that time.
• It has been a vital part of ancient Assyrian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese and Inca cultures also
• Records indicate that beer was sometimes used to pay workers for part of their wages
• In earlier cultures sometimes straws were fashioned for drinking to avoid the grain hulls left in the beverage
• Beer was brewed commercially by Egyptians and served in gold goblets to royalty, used for medicinal purposes and buried with the dead for their journey in afterlife

Different cultures favor different grains:

• Africa – millet, maize and cassava
• United States – persimmon
• Mexico – agave
• South America – corn
• Brazil – sweet potatoes
• Japan – rice (sake)
• China – wheat (samshu)
• Other Asian cultures – sorghum
• Russia – rye to make quass or kvass
• Egypt – barley
• Egyptian texts were found dating back to 1600 BC with 100 medical prescriptions requiring beer according to Professor Linda Raley, or over 600 prescriptions and remedies according to Brian Glover’s research. Either way there were a lot of prescriptions including beer.
• At one time in Egypt if a gentleman offered a lady a sip of his beer it was considered a marriage proposal
• Much earlier flavors consisted of balsam, hay, dandelion, mint, wormwood seeds, horehound juice, crab claws and oyster shells
• Romans gave beer the name “Cerevisia” which translates to Ceres the goddess of agriculture and “vis” meaning strength in Latin
• Brewers who produced unfit beer in ancient Babylonia were sentenced to be drowned in their own beer
• In the 1st century A.D. the Roman historian stated that beer was the “usual drink of the Germans and Gauls”.
• Ale was regarded so highly that according to Norse mythology Vikings would spend their days happily drinking beer in the warriors resting place, Valhalla, after being slain in battle
• In their travels Columbus and his crew found Indians making beer from corn and black birch sap

For even more information regarding the history of beer visit: BeerHistory.com

George Washington’s personal recipe

Our first president, George Washington penned the following recipe in 1757, which I found here.

“To Make Small Beer

Take a large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste. — Boil these 3 hours then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a cooler put in 3 Gall[ons] Molasses while the Beer is Scalding hot or rather draw the Melasses into the cooler & St[r]ain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Yea[s]t if the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank [et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask — leave the bung open till it is almost don[e] Working — Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.”

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were both known to own their own breweries

The basics of brewing have not changed much over the centuries as shown pictured below. This woman brews beer for her family in Zambia.

The huge copper kettles pictured in Saku Brewery in Estonia accomplish the same goal, accept in greater quantities.

This article is not meant to extol the virtues of beer, while beer does contain properties which both lower cholesterol and provide us with antioxidants, it has been often time misused and consumed to the detriment of mankind. I would hope that anyone who enjoys an occasional drink both drinks in moderation and does not drive while drinking.

On Weds the 16th of Sept, Roberrific went north to Barrie Ontario with his pal Timbits in hopes of meeting Peter Chiodo, the owner of Robert Simpson Brewery. The award winning brew master makes the best micro beer in Ontario, Confederation Ale. The brew is steeped in history, and the taste imparts the flavour of earlier times when lumber barons and Canada West settlers did business in Barrie’s streets and saloons.

This particular brewery, although not erected in its original historic location, is situated right in the heart of old Barrie, across from the historic Queen’s Hotel. And it’s the real thing – good beer is made (and consumed) right on the premises.

And this beer is made in the name of a particularly curious Canadian, an historic figure who played a prominent role in nation building. One of the foremost men of his time, Robert Simpson was the 1st Mayor of Barrie in 1871, and a master brewer. Even back then he’d been brewing beer for almost thirty years up and down Yonge St.

Tim Braithwaite is a stoneware collector. He posses a very rare Robert Simpson stoneware beer bottle that was made in 1849 as per the 1850 Toronto Business Index which lists Robert Simpson as a brewer in Toronto. This was a dark chapter in this historic brewer’s life. He disliked Toronto which was crowded and competitive. After that experience he moved everything he had north to Barrie Ontario in 1851 and set up a brewery there. He was no doubt anticipating the railroad would bring more settlers and logging companies and he was certainly hoping that perhaps Barrie Ontario would continue to grow into a prosperous settlement.

Robert Simpson lived in a different age when it was impossible to go online and get fire insurance or even the most basic Ontario homeowner’s insurance. This would be his fifth move in fifteen years and his young wife and family were used to hard times. He had yet to find commercial success as three deadly fires had destroyed his earlier breweries in Tollendale and Newmarket Ontario. Remember back then when you had a fire you were ruined, and you had to look around and borrow money and raise capital to start over again… Simpson found such opportunity in Toronto in 1848, and then shifted his assets north to Barrie in 1851.

Now this particular stoneware beer bottle, which was made by an unknown pottery shop in Upper Canada in the late 1840s, is one of two survivors and certainly worthy of display in any museum. Tim was very generous with information and told Peter a lot of secrets concerning the manufacture and trade in period stoneware. Knowing what to collect comes from knowing how these things are made, and that’s all very important knowledge these days. Tim Braithwaite has developed a wide readership because of this rare knowledge, and his thoughts are sometimes privileged information – but something he shares freely on Dumpdiggers..

TimBits had a lot of questions for Peter Chiodo too, and this modern day expert shared a lot of great insights about the modern day business of bottling beer.

Peter was just thrilled to be able to see and touch and connect with the namesake of his enterprise. Robert Simpson would also be proud of the association.