The New York Times has almost given us a time machine when they have opened up thir archives, giving free access to their articles through the years. Whatever your interests are, you can have snapshots of how a given topic is covered through the years.
Not surprisingly I did a little search for beer, and one of the articles that came up was from October 1851 -
MUNICH.; Characteristics of the City--Theatres--Art-Beer--Manners of the People, &c.
A few paragraphs:
There are about two hundred beer rooms in the city, which are the resorts of all classes of citizens, I have seen one person drink three or four pints of this beer, which is not the “poor creature” that one finds on the Rhine, with no perceptible effect save a redness of the visage. People who are fond of beer, swallow quantities that a traveller regardful of his reputation does not like to mention. One must see to believe.
The chief amusement is conversation, and I have been entertainingly instructed by criticisms on art, anecdotes of artists, descriptions of travel and discussions on geology – a frequent topic of German talk – in the beer rooms of “The Fransiscan”. The beer-maids of Munich, who perform the service of waiters, are noted for their comeliness.