Bottoms Up Trivia Quiz

Answer: Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws and regulations from ancient Babylon. Believed to have been enacted between 1755-1750 BC, most of these laws (282) are etched onto a basalt or diorite stele (scientists debate its material) that is over seven feet tall, and which can be viewed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The laws deal with criminal acts and punishment, family and property regulations and, under commercial law, regulations dealing in part with beer production and distribution. Serving smaller portions than that paid for, incurred the penalty of death by drowning, for example, and the daily allocation of beer to individuals (controlled by the rulers) was strictly based on one's social standing, whereby priests and administrators of the kingdom received twice as much per day as hard working laborers.

Answer: Bavaria

Today Bavaria is part of a united Germany, and is the largest of that nation's states. In 1516, however, more than 300 years before Germany became the one united country in 1871, Bavaria was a separate country with its own language (called Austro-Bavarian), culture, and laws.

In that year, 1516, the ruling powers in the kingdom of Bavaria established a set of regulations regarding the production of, and ingredients in, beer. Prior to that, individual regions had their own methods of brewing and their own ingredients (such as fruits, honey and spices) in producing ales, but after that year, the only allowable ingredients were water, barley and hops.

These regulations were known as Reinheitsgebot or Purity Law.

Answer: Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was the last of the Tudor monarchs of England and Ireland, ruling those countries from 1558 until her death, whereupon the crown passed to the Stuarts. Although she was quick-tempered, she was also charismatic, intelligent and quick-witted, loved dancing and music and regal display, and was quite remarkably tolerant of the lifestyles and religious choices of her people.

However, even this tolerant ruler reached her limits of endurance when the English became overly fond of a very powerful brew called Double Double Beer.

This of course led to a rise in public disorder, brawling and other alcohol inflamed behaviour throughout the country, and the Queen, on the advice of her ministers, was forced to put her regal foot down.

Therefore in 1572, she outlawed the brewing of this heady intoxicant.

Answer: Small beer

Small beer was also known as small ale or table beer because of its presence at meal times, and various other thirst evoking occasions during the middle ages in England, and later in North America. Small beer was consumed by all members of a home from the servants down to the children, and because of its low alcohol content (0.5 to 2.8%), consuming ten or more glasses a day produced no ill effects, or intoxication at all. Well, perhaps just a little, one would think. Drinking water from most available supplies of the time, because raw sewage often found its way down into it, was asking for trouble, and more often than not resulted in severe illness or death. Even the great George Washington drank small beer on a regular basis, with a copy of his personal recipe for same available in many libraries.

It was the advent of the good old cuppa, after tea was introduced into Europe, that gradually replaced the regular consumption of small beer in most homes. Simply boiling water to kill any bacteria that water carried, wasn't known until a later period in history.

Answer: Oktoberfest

At that wedding, the King invited the people of Munich to take part in various festive events which also included horse races, and those races, combined with the joyous mood associated with the wedding, introduced what would become the famous Oktoberfest celebrations. With a few hiccups regarding how and when it was to be held, Oktoberfest has been an almost annual event in Bavaria since 1850. Notable exceptions have been 1813 (Napoleonic wars), 1854 (death of the consort), 1866 and 1870 (Franco-Prussian wars), 1873 (cholera epidemic), and of course, the years of the world wars.

In 1892, beer served in glass mugs became the order of the day at the festival. That has become the hallmark of the festival ever since, with only beer that has been brewed in Munich allowed to be sold. How much beer, you ask? In 2015 alone, over 7.5 million litres of the amber fluid was sold.

Answer: Arnulf of Metz

Arnulf of Metz (c.582-645) was the Bishop of Metz in France who claimed descent from the Pharaohs of Egypt, and with descendants that include Pepin II, Charles Martel, and Charlemagne. Born into a wealthy family, Arnulf had a distinguished career both as a soldier and administrator in the Merovingian court.

He married and had several children, before being offered the vacant Episcopal see at Metz, which he accepted. His unfortunate wife subsequently joined a nunnery. During his time as priest and bishop, while still retaining his positions as court administrator, Arnulf became embroiled in many wars and murders, and overcome with guilt, finally retired and spent the rest of his life as a hermit.

He became known as the patron saint of brewers when a group of parishioners, travelling to Remiremont, were overcome with exhaustion and thirst, and prayed for Arnulf's intercession on their behalf. Immediately an empty pot of beer they carried was refilled with the ale and kept refilling until they were safely back home - probably somewhat the worse for wear.

Answer: Alewife

When brewing as a profession first began way back in the "land between the two rivers" (Mesopotamia) it was women who were the primary producers of this product. This continued to be the case right up to the 17th century, and, because ale quickly became sour after a few days if not consumed, brewing was a task in constant demand. Symbols associated with this profession included tall black conical hats (which made the women easy to identify in markets), a cat (used to keep mice away from the grains used in ale making), and a broomstick (which was hung outside their homes over the front door to announce the availability of a fresh batch of ale).

More often than not, and because many men lost their inhibitions when intoxicated, rumours began to circulate that alewives were witches who bewitched men with their powers.

When beer took over as the drink of choice for many people, its brewing process originated in the Low Countries where it was always considered a male trade. Consequently, as the preference for this drink spread to England and throughout Europe, the job market for woman gradually disappeared, as alewives were replaced by male beer brewers.

This quite possibly also saved quite a few women from being burned at the stake as witches.

Answer: Ship

Menestheus, launched in 1929 for the UK Shipping Company, Blue Funnel Line, was requisitioned by the British Navy to be converted into a minelayer during World War II. Subsequently reclassified as HMS Menestheus, and when her minelaying tasks were completed in 1943, she was converted again into a mobile amenities ship for the British warships in the Pacific.

This not only incorporated a movie theatre and canteen into her hull, but also saw the start of the construction of a brewery built on board in order to give freshly brewed beer to the troops serving in the Pacific arena.

Unfortunately, or rather very fortunately as it turned out, the war ended before the brewery could be completed, so the gallant little Menestheus, feeling rather dizzy and no doubt a lot thirstier, was returned to the Blue Funnel Line in 1946.

Answer: A bag of hops

Bill Readdy, born 1952, after earning his wings as a naval aviator, and serving in various postings in the North Atlantic, was selected for astronaut training in 1987. On his way up through the ranks to taking part in three space flights and becoming the first manager of the Space Shuttle program, Bill took a bag of hops with him on a flight mission in 1992 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, during which time he circled earth 128 times.

The bag of hops that hopped along with him on this epic journey were then presented to Spinnakers Brewpub in British Columbia - and made into a new beer.

The humble beer then has journeyed from the sands of Egypt and Mesopotamia, to, in the words of "Toy Story" character, Buzz Lightyear - infinity and beyyyyyondddd.

Answer: Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain. Among its various effects on the individual, it is released into the system when the brain is expecting a reward of some kind - such as a particular food, sexual activity, a desired drink or drug and so on. When we as individuals partake - or are about to partake - in any activity associated with pleasure, dopamine swings into action. And dopamine's nickname is the feel good neurotransmitter. That release reinforces our need to continue with the behaviour that helps release it in the first place, in a kind of pleasurable vicious circle.

A study called "Beer on the Brain; how taste alone can drive men to drink" which appeared in the Neuropsychopharmacology journal in 2013, concluded that, after spraying various minute amount of flavoured drink, including beer, onto tongues of participants, the result saw participants expressing a desire for more beer, but not the other flavours. Although that very slight spray of beer in no way could have made them intoxicated, it was enough to activate the brain to release dopamine into their systems - which increased that desire. This rather frightening finding raises the question, with any pleasure seeking behaviour, of what came first - the carrot, or the donkey?