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South Africa - Ten things you didn't know about beer

by GoTravel24

Read more about Cape Town and other fantastic destinations at GoTravel24

The first Cape Town Festival of Beer recently took place in Greenpoint. The festival presented over twenty styles of beer from micro breweries to mega-brewers. Apart from a sore head, here's what else was gleaned from an afternoon with the golden liquid.

1. In Sierra Leone, jewellers immerse diamonds in beer to study the way they reflect light and prove their authenticity.

2. Clay tablets from Mesopotamia indicate that the majority of brewing during that time was done by women, and that it was a fairly well-respected occupation. History shows that beer making was part of the household chores, women were the main "brewers".

3. Ancient Babylonians were first to brew beer. They took their beer-making so seriously, that if one brewed a bad batch, they were to be drowned in it.

4. Vikings believed that a giant goat whose udders provided an endless supply of beer was waiting for them in Valhalla (Viking Heaven).

5. The record for fastest beer drinker is still held by Steven Petrosino. His record was made in 1977 when he drank 1 litre of beer in 1.3 seconds.

6. The most expensive bottle of beer ever sold was a bottle of Lowebrau that was rescued from the wreckage of the Hindenburg, an ill-fated air-balloon that burst into flames and crashed dramatically in 1937. The bottle was sold on auction for £10 000.

7. There are currently over 21 microbreweries listed in South Africa.

8. Most beer drunk in South Africa is lager, as the hot climate favours cold drinks and this is how lager is best enjoyed. Ales are very rare and are only made by small breweries or imported.

9. Beer is the world's most widely consumed and probably the oldest of alcoholic beverages; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea.

10. A 2005 Japanese study found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties.