was the goddess of beer (I’ve omitted the poem’s many repetitions.) May Ninkasi live together with you! Let her pour for you beer [and] wine, Let [the pouring] of the sweet liquor resound pleasantly for you! In the…reed buckets there is sweet beer, I will make cupbearers, boys, [and] brewers stand by, While I circle around the abundance of beer, While I feel wonderful, I feel wonderful, Drinking beer, in a blissful mood, Drinking liquor, feeling exhilarated, With joy in the heart [and] a happy liver — While my heart full of joy, [And] [my] happy liver I cover with a garment fit for a queen! The heart of Inanna is happy again, The heart of the queen of heaven is happy again! — Transl Miguel Civil The Nature of Alcohol Alcohol molecules are made in many living cells as a by-product of breaking down sugar molecules for their chemical energy Most cells then break down the alcohol molecules to extract their energy content too The great exception to this rule is certain yeasts, which excrete alcohol into their surroundings Like the lactic acid in cheeses and pickled vegetables, like the powerful aromas in herbs and spices, the alcohol in wine and beer is a defensive chemical weapon, which the yeasts deploy to protect themselves against competition from other microbes Alcohol is toxic to living cells Even the yeasts that make it for us can only tolerate a certain amount The pleasant feeling that it gives us is a manifestation of the fact that it’s disrupting ... to extract their energy content too The great exception to this rule is certain yeasts, which excrete alcohol into their surroundings Like the lactic acid in cheeses and pickled vegetables, like the powerful aromas in herbs... vegetables, like the powerful aromas in herbs and spices, the alcohol in wine and beer is a defensive chemical weapon, which the yeasts deploy to protect themselves against competition from other microbes Alcohol is... Miguel Civil The Nature of Alcohol Alcohol molecules are made in many living cells as a by-product of breaking down sugar molecules for their chemical energy Most cells then break down the alcohol molecules