Beer contains alcohol. Alcohol is classified as a depressant. Depressants are one kind of psychotropic substance.
Psychotropics contain chemical substances that act on your central nervous system, altering brain functions and causing temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior.
It's a drug alright, just like nicotine and crack cocaine. Although they affect you in different ways and in different degrees, drugs they are. Alcohol just happens to be legal in most countries. And just because it's legal doesn't necessarily mean it's good for you (cigarette, anyone?).
Speaking of alcohol, I assume since most of you drink it, you know what it really is. Well, if you've ever read "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (Carl Sagan/ Anne Druyan), you would most certainly know, and I quote:
[the product of fermentation] - a biochemical imperfection exploited by the beer, wine, and liquor industries, which profitably manufacture this addictive and dangerous drug, C2H5OH [ethanol]. Millions of people worldwide die from imbibing it each year. Or, looked at another way, distillers have been exploited by the fermenting bacteria and yeast, who have gotten us to arrange for their growth and reproduction on a worldwide, industrial scale -- because we love to drink ourselves senseless on microbial wastes. If they could speak, perhaps they would boast about how cleverly they've domesticated the humans.
So there you go. It kind of puts things in perspective when you know humankind has erected vast industries and invested immense resources to create ideal breeding grounds for the lowly bacteria, just so we can continue consuming what is really nothing more than shit.
Oh, and the best beer? Hoegaarden. No debate, nor is it open to interpretation. It's like having children - you don't know what it's like until you've had one.
