Beer may have been enjoyed in 4,000 B.C. Mesopotamia, and beer and ale have become popular worldwide, in about 20 main styles, from wheat beer to stout, from Pilsner to bottle-fermented British ale. There are as many as 5,000 breweries in the world, with up to 15,000 brands, but a large proportion of these are derived from the old Czechoslovakian pilsner.

The basic raw material used in the production of beer is malt, produced by steeping, turning and kilning barley, though many other raw materials, including rice, can be used. As the world becomes more and more a global village, and beer drinkers are exposed to the myriad flavours, strengths and textures of the products of other nations, and the cottage breweries at home - beer and ale have begun to be recognized for the complex, sophisticated products they are. Like wine, there is a beer or ale for every taste.