ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Small beer

Small beer is a type of beer that is made with very little alcohol. It's like regular beer, but with way less of the stuff that makes you feel tipsy.

The reason people make small beer is because regular beer can be pretty strong and make you feel really drunk if you drink too much. Small beer is a way to enjoy the taste of beer without getting too drunk.

To make small beer, brewers use the same ingredients as they do for regular beer: water, grains and hops. But they use less grain and let the mixture ferment for a shorter time. This creates a drink that's less alcoholic and lighter in flavor.

Small beer was actually really popular way back in the olden days, because people didn't always have access to safe drinking water. They would drink small beer instead, because boiling the water during the brewing process made it safe to drink.

Nowadays, small beer is more of a novelty drink that you might see on a fancy brewery menu. It's a fun way to enjoy the taste of beer without getting too drunk, and it's also a throwback to a time when small beer was a necessity for daily life.
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