Beer has been with us for over 10,000 years and wine for over 6,000.
While demand and enjoyment fluctuate over time, they are both beloved worldwide. If beer and wine are so beloved, what makes their taste and cost so different? Comparing wine vs beer has been a scientific, religious, and philosophical quandary.
Here’s what you need to know to understand the differences between the world’s two favorite alcoholic beverages.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients is extensive for both.
Wine comes out of fermented fruit, most often grapes. Beer is carbonated and fermented grain. To qualify as beer in Germany, beer can only have water, hops, barley malt, and yeast.
Some of the best beer has other subtle ingredients, but the four mentioned above remain the cornerstone. Wine, on the other hand, is often made from grapes. If the skins are on, you have red wine. If they are removed, you have white wine.
You can also get a wine made from apples, cherries, and even high-sugar rice.
Taste
Whether you are drinking wine or beer, there is a lot of variance in taste and flavor profiles. The general truth is that wine is sweeter than beer and that beer is more bitter and herbal in flavor. Some people believe it takes time to like either, while others find them enjoyable on the first sip.
Brewing
The recipe for wine is much more straightforward than beer. Even expensive wine is made the same way, from the juice of crushed fruit, which is bottled and allowed to ferment. There isn’t much more to it than that.
With beer, on the other hand, the process involves carbonation, boiling the beer, and adding various herbs at various times. Despite the greater difficulty, beer has existed as far back as 10,000 years ago.
Where Does It Come From?
It is hard to pinpoint where the best wine comes from, but most believe it is from France. It is harder for beer because each nation and region has its favorite. There are countries famous for their beer, such as Germany.
Holiday Drinking
The one significant edge that wine might have over beer is the holidays. While some people might enjoy a beer on a holiday like Christmas, wine holds a more dominant position as the drink of choice. There are even such things as a wine advent calendar where people try a new type and brand of wine every day of the holiday season.
The Aging Process
It’s impossible to compare wine vs beer without talking about aging and the effect that it has. It has been long believed that aging wine improves flavor. This is dependent on the type of wine, but in general, aging is not something you see done to beer.
In fact, old beer often becomes bitter and tastes unsavory while wine continues to mature, as does the flavor. In fact, the most expensive wines are often aged for decades.
Wine vs Beer
The age-old debate of wine vs beer isn’t going anywhere. There are passionate supporters of both, and they have a lot of good points to make about their favorite beverage. In the end, both are used for celebration and relaxation.
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