Beer facts you should know, and might.

In Sierra Leone, jewellers immerse diamonds in beer to study the way they reflect light and prove their authenticity.

Ancient Babylonians were first to brew beer. They took their beer-making so seriously, that if one brewed a bad batch, they were to be drowned in it.

 

The record for the fastest beer drinker is still held by Steven Petrosino. His record was made in 1977 when he drank 1 litre of beer in 1.3 seconds.

 

The most expensive bottle of beer ever sold was a bottle of Lowenbrau that was rescued from the wreckage of the Hindenburg (http://bit.ly/XBXgGG), an ill-fated air-balloon that burst into flames and crashed dramatically in 1937. The bottle was sold on auction for £10,000.

Most beer drunk in South Africa is lager, as the hot climate favours cold drinks and this is how lager is best enjoyed. Ales are very rare and are only made by small breweries or imported.  

Beer is the world's most widely consumed and probably the oldest of alcoholic beverages; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea.

A 2005 Japanese study found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties.

Beer makes you pee a lot.