There's a gruit in my pants
I remember reading once that Ale as pointed out above didn't have any hops historically and was only added at the request of some clergymen to stop the overly amorous potency of the herby brew prior to the soporific hops being added:
"One factor is that hops create a sedentary spirit in the imbiber. Amongst those knowledgeable about herbs, hops tea is well known as a catalyst for dreams, and creates drowsiness for the beer drinker. Hops is also an anaphradesiacal herb - meaning that it lessens sexual desire." - http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/gruit/
There's actually a great little brewery in Ghent, Belgium - Gruut - that brews hop free beers that are very tasty, worth a visit for any beer fans - http://www.gruut.be/en
Biting the hand that feeds IT
