 Another flavoring method was to increase the alcohol content, but this was more expensive and lent the beer the undesired characteristic of being a quick and heavy intoxicant.Hops may have been widely used in England in the tenth century; they were grown in Austria by 1208 and in Finland by 1249, and possibly much earlier.Before hops became popular as an ingredient, it was difficult to preserve this beverage for any time, so it was mostly consumed fresh.