The drinking of alcoholic spirits has been a way of life throughout history of man. Some of the earliest permanent buildings in this country were Inns and Taverns where a person could go to socialize. Pioneer families made their own home brew. One of the oldest drinks was "mead" and was made with honey. It was often heated in a cone shaped container called a "beer mauler" placed in the fireplace. The secret of any good beer was in the yeast used. An ale or stout yeast was fairly active and is a "top acting" yeast. Yeast used in lager beers was "bottom acting" and less rapid. Regular baker's yeast worked too rapid and made terrible tasting beer. How these early settlers cultivated their yeast is a lost art today and just another example of what they had to go through when everything they did was from "scratch". Personally, I like the smell of beer, but then again, I like Kim Chee. (Oriental fermented cabbage). When I was growing up in Tazewell County, I did not have far to go buy a fruit jar of good brew. I just had to watch out for Sheriff Ed McGlothlin or Trooper Andes. (Mr. Andes passed away a few months back. He and Mr. McGlothlin were the local law enforcement there for many years) Sheriff McGlothlin was in an OK Corral type shoot out in Boissevain in the 1940's. He won but was shot several times.