Surfers – you've got ale

Man's relationship with beer goes back a long way. Scholars believe prehistoric nomads may have made it from grain and water before learning to make bread. And brewing certainly played an important role in the lives of the ancient Assyrians, Egyptians and Incas. Beer recipes have been found on Babylonian clay tablets dating from 4300BC and 5,000-year-old vessels containing beer residues were discovered in Iraq.

Although both the producers and drinkers of beer tend to set great store by its history and traditions, this doesn't mean the drink is stuck in the past. The Internet is arguably the most important development of the late 20th century, and both beer lovers and brewers have been quick to exploit its potential. For owners and operators of bars and restaurants, the Internet can be a useful source of information on beer brands, trends and styles, as well as providing contact details for brewers and stockists.

So what are the best places to find out about beer on-line? A good start would be to visit www.breworld.com. This claims to be Europe's largest site dedicated to the brewing industry. Aimed at those in the trade and enthusiasts alike, it's packed with facts and figures, including news of competition-winning brews, articles on different beers and a bulletin board where users can chat about hot topics. Further useful stuff includes a searchable database of breweries and beers.

Another good jumping-off point is US-based http://realbeer.com. This contains 75,000 pages of "everything you could ever want to know about beer, brewpubs, microbreweries, homebrewing, and the beer industry". Features include an on-line library of beer magazines and a special section on English ales.

Also accessible through realbeer.com is the home page of beer writer Michael Jackson at http://beerhunter.com. This invaluable resource contains hundred of articles written by Jackson on his beer-hunting travels around the world. Excellent if you want to find out anything about a particular style of beer or a little-known brewery. You name the beer, Jackson has probably tasted it and written about it.

The Campaign for Real Ale has its own site as well, at www.camra.org.uk. It features news about breweries and beer in the UK as well as lists of championship-winning brews and forthcoming beer festivals.

Many breweries now have their own Web sites, too. The address can usually be found on their bottles, or check the list of breweries on the Yahoo! search engine. Most give brewery histories and tasting notes on their beers, but there doesn't seem to be much scope to buy on-line as yet. Still, contact details are always given.

For a taster, have a look at www.cornish-knockers.co.uk, the Web site of Truro-based Skinner's brewery. You could even order a case of their Cornish Knocker, a dark golden, flowery, fruity, hoppy ale with an orangey finish.

I've seen the future, and it's beer-flavoured.

Beer of the month: Cornish Knocker, 4.5% abv, Skinner's Brewing Co, £15.75 plus VAT for a single case of 12 x 500ml bottles. Enquiries: 01872 271885.

by David Shrimpton