"produce (a beverage) by fermentation; prepare by mixing and boiling," Old English breowan (class II strong verb, past tense breaw, past participle browen), from Proto-Germanic *breuwan "to brew" (source also of Old Norse brugga, Old Frisian briuwa, Middle Dutch brouwen, Old High German briuwan, German brauen "to brew"), from PIE root *bhreu- "to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn;" the etymological sense thus being "make (a drink) by boiling." Intransitive, figurative sense of "be in preparation" (of trouble, etc.) is from c. 1300. Related: Brewed; brewing.