Bottoms up as UCC experts help discover chance event that led to world's most popular beer

It has been known for several years that saccharomyces pastorianus — the yeast responsible for producing lager beer — is a hybrid species that arose in Germany from the mating of a top-fermenting ale yeast with a cold-tolerant bottom-fermenting strain, probably around the start of the 17th century. File picture

Researchers are set to down a few well-earned pints after discovering the origin of the world’s most popular beer, with a theory that has turned the brewing world on its head.

And like most good origin stories, it involves political power plays, death, and some strange mating behaviour in a warm, dark space swirling with alcohol.