Beer in the Middle Ages and the Rennaissance - Richard W. Unger Audiobook

Written by Richard W. Unger
Read by John Pruden
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
Publisher: 2010 Redwood Audiobooks

Modern beer has little in common with the drink that carried that name through the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Looking at a time when beer was often a nutritional necessity, was sometimes used as medicine, could be flavored with everything from the bark of fir trees to thyme and fresh eggs, and was consumed by men, women, and children alike, Beer in the Middle Ages and Renaissance presents an extraordinarily detailed history of the business, art, and governance of brewing.

During the medieval and early modern periods beer was as much a daily necessity as a source of inebriation and amusement. It was the beverage of choice of urban populations that lacked access to secure sources of potable water; a commodity of economic as well as social importance; a safe drink for daily consumption that was less expensive than wine; and a major source of tax revenue for the state.

This is not a light read for enjoyment, it is a thorough, scholarly analysis of government regulations and tax records to shed light on developments in the production and use of beer and ale in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Unger covers ingredients, recipes, nutrition, technology, and particularly in Chapters 4,5, & 6, in distribution, taxation, regulation and consumption…. He draws some interesting conclusions about industrial, commercial, political and social developments involving beer in the Middle Ages and Renaissance and also provides contrasts with developments in some other industries of the times.

Note—This is a real-time recording and I apologize for any glitches I didn’t catch. It is NOT the flawed old demonoid rip that has been passed around for 12 years.