WE LOVE BEER – A STORY THAT BEGAN 7.000 YEARS AGO
Poured by
Sonja Todorova
The art of making beer is at the heart of Pivara Skopje’s existence and of all of us who are involved in the production of this authentic drink in one way or another. Our story has begun more than 90 years ago, but humanity has been perfecting the art of making beer for 7.000 years now.
Based on numerous researches, the science has managed to show that beer brewing dates back to Sumerians. At that time, people preferred beer over water since it was much safer to drink. Egyptians used beer as a currency and offered it to their gods. Monks liked beer since it helped them earn a living and offer refreshment to weary travelers. Today, WE LOVE BEER because it brings people together. Beer makes special occasions even more beautiful. It emphasizes the flavours of our favourite food. Beer brings enjoyment and we love it because beer is the drink of choice when we get together with the loved ones and toast to all things good we enjoy at the moment and to everything that is yet to come.
I often drop by Pivara Skopje’s beer boiling facility where our beer is made, just to have a chat with the people working there about what they make so perfectly. During my visits, Kircho Stojanov, our brew-master, always tells me that the essence of making beer lies in the way in which we use nature and natural resources, backed up by our knowledge, experience and skills. In the world of brewing beer, it means finding the perfect balance of the four natural ingredients giving life to the best of beers.
Around 90% of beer is composed of water, meaning that beer is excellent for hydration. Throughout history, people drank beer not only it tasted good, but also because it made water easier to drink. The logic behind this is that people actually relied on fermentation to purify drinking water. In Pivara Skopje, we dedicate great deal of attention to purification of water which should be of excellent quality simply because it serves as a base for production of our beers.
Barley provides the core and gives beer its nutritional value. Barley is a crop with intensive nutty flavour and it is most frequently used crop in beer production. Before being used in beer production, barley is first turned into malt, thus obtaining rich roasted grain. Barley malt provides the sugar contents which is turned into alcohol by yeast during fermentation process. It also affects beer aroma, taste, beer head, tasting sensation and color. Barley contributes to beer and beer brewing to such extent that if it had not existed, brewers would simply had to invent it. Actually, barley was discovered rather than invented, and as in all other major discoveries, although unexpected, are often appreciated long after the very first magical moment of discovery.
The ingredient that defines the aroma and flavour of beer is hop. Hop was first used in beer brewing during the Middle Ages due to their flavor and characteristics of a natural preservative. Hop is an ambitious climbing plant which may grow up to 30 cm a day. Hop plant develops both male and female flowers, but interestingly enough, only female flowers are used in beer production. The reason is that only female flowers contain the magical alpha and beta acids giving beer its characteristic hop aroma and flavor, as well as its bitterness and tanginess, making it so tasty. Different variations of bitterness and aroma can be obtained by combining bitter and aromatic hop in various ratios and at different stages of beer production. The next time you have beer, take a minute to distinguish its bitter notes or try to taste the prominent hop flavour and don’t forget to toast to female flowers of the hop plant.
As for the fourth ingredient, yeast, brew-masters say that it gives beer its soul. Yes, that’s right! It may sound as a superstition, but try talking to our brew-master about yeast. All brew-masters think that yeast in fact has soul and feelings and they believe that the good mood and joy brew-master feel during the process of brewing is transferred to the yeast and it contributes to getting better beer.
In fact, yeast is a single celled microorganism responsible for beer fermentation. It means that is turns fermentation sugars into alcohol, carbon dioxide and esters-flavour compounds. Beers made with top-fermenting yeast are called “dark” and they usually contain higher esters concentration ensuring a wide specter of fruity toned flavours. On the other hand, bottom-fermenting yeast start fermenting at low temperatures, which prevents esters from forming, resulting in beer with sharper taste and malt and hop flavour. Beers produced using bottom-fermenting yeast are called “lagers”. Before the great Louis Pasteur made the scientific connection existing between beer and fermentation, beer brewing was seen as magical process. And, in Pivara Skopje, we claim it still is!
Beer brewing throughout the world and in our company is a closely guarded and nurtured secret, transferred from generation to generation of brew-masters. Beer comes to life thanks to a biological process occurring completely naturally. The essence of beer brewing today remains the same as 7.000 years ago and it still follows Sumerian spirit.
