Fermented beverages made from various types of grain appeared independently in different locations all over the ancient world from Africa to China. The word beer itself comes from a Latin verb meaning "to drink", and the ancient Romans were certainly no strangers to the brew. However, because they considered it the drink of barbarians , the Romans generally preferred wine.

这些由多种谷类制成的发酵饮料，古时候从非洲到中国的世界各国都各自单独生产。啤酒这个词源自拉丁文动词，意为“饮用”。古罗马人对啤酒肯定不陌生，不过，由于他们认为啤酒是野蛮人的饮料，因此古罗马人普遍偏好葡萄酒。