How Beer Saved the World (2011) (TV)

Writer:

Martyn Ives

Release Date:

30 January 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

This show traces the important role that beer has played in human history from the probable origins of the first beer at the dawn of history to the development of a special beer for use in zero gravity space missions. |

Plot Keywords:

Beer | Mesopotamia | Beer Bottle | Refrigeration | Agricultural Revolution

Cast

Henry Strozier	...	Himself - Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Armelagos	...	Himself - Professor of Anthropology, Emory University (as Dr. George Armelagos)
Charlie Bamforth	...	Himself - Professor of Brewing Science, University of California (as Dr. Charlie Bamforth)
Kyria Boundy-Mills	...	Herself - Professor of Microbiology, University of California (as Dr. Kyria Boundy-Mills)
Drew Brosseau	...	Himself - Mayflower Brewery
Betsy Bryan	...	Herself - Professor of Egyptology, John Hopkins University (as Dr. Betsy Bryan)
Patrick Hayes	...	Himself - Professor of Food Science, Oregon State University (as Dr. Patrick Hayes)
Patrick McGovern	...	Himself - Professor of Bio-Archaeology, University of Pennsylvania (as Dr. Patrick McGovern)
Jaron Mitchell	...	Himself - 4Pines Brewing Company
Bernard Nagengast	...	Himself - Author & Technical Historian
Maureen Ogle	...	Herself - Author & Historian
David Ryder	...	Himself - Vice President Brewing & Research MillerCoors (as Dr. David Ryder)
Thomas Shellhammer	...	Himself - Professor of Fermentation Science, Oregon State University (as Dr. Thomas Shellhammer)
Quentin R. Skrabec Jr.	...	Himself - Associate Professor of Business, University of Findlay (as Dr. Quentin R. Skrabec Jr.)
Gregg Smith	...	Himself - Author & Historian
Stephen Tinney	...	Himself - Associate Professor of Assyriology, University of Pennsylvania (as Dr. Stephen Tinney)
Richard Unger	...	Himself - Professor of Medieval History, University of British Columbia (as Dr. Richard Unger)
Josef Wegner	...	Himself - Egyptologist, University of Pennsylvania Museum (as Dr. Josef Wegner)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Martyn Ives

Produced by
Andrea Dal Bosco	....	field producer
Martyn Ives	....	producer
Skye Trimble	....	segment field producer
Kristin Wilcox	....	coordinating producer

Film Editing by
Gillian Abraham
Warren Saunders
Lukasz Termer

Production Management
Caroline Audcent	....	production manager

Art Department
Daniel Kouts	....	titles and graphics

Sound Department
Nathan Brand	....	sound mixer
Glenn Fitzpatrick	....	sound
Travis Handley	....	sound mixer
Michael Solomon	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
John Whitteron	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Michael Graham	....	on-line editor
Lyndsay Kenwright	....	post-production
Anthony Toy	....	post-production

Other crew
Horst Dornbusch	....	consultant
Lyndsay Kenwright	....	post production coordinator
Nathan Price	....	researcher
Caroline Stocker	....	researcher
Mark Wheeler	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Beyond Productions

Distributors

• Beyond Productions (2011) (Australia) (TV)
• Discovery Channel (2011) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Audio Network  music
• Bayerische Brauerbund  archive
• Getty Images  archive
• MillerCoors  archive
• MillerCoors  promotional consideration provided by
• Penn Museum  archive
• Penn Museum  with thanks
• Pond5  archive (as Pond5.com)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (with commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Beyond Productions

Very Educational And Entertaining

This show traces the important role that beer has played in human history from the probable origins of the first beer at the dawn of history to the development of a special beer for use in zero gravity space missions.

I suspect some of the claims made in this show exaggerate the importance of beer. Was barley made exclusively for beer and not for bread? I do not know, but it seems a bit odd. Even the theory of how beer was accidentally discovered relies heavily on speculation.

But overall, it is pretty decent with real experts explaining things about beer's history that are not well known. Did it "save" the world? I do not know. I mean, sure, beer was safer to drink than bacteria-filled water... but clearly other societies thrived besides the Europeans. The world was not "saved".