This year America turns 250, and we figured there's no better way to celebrate than to crack open the history books (and a few cold ones) and trace the whole wild story of beer in this country.
We start all the way back in 1612 with the first commercial brewery in New Amsterdam, then jump into how beer became a genuine act of political rebellion in the lead up to the Revolution. Turns out the Sons of Liberty were planning the Tea Party over pints of local ale, and George Washington had his own version of "Buy American." We even found a transcription of Washington's actual home brew recipe, and we sample a modern version from Talea Brewing and the NY Public Library.
From there we trace the German immigration wave that gave us lagers (and a literal riot in Chicago over Sunday beer sales), the refrigeration and pasteurization breakthroughs that made national beer brands possible, and the gut punch of Prohibition that nearly wiped the whole industry out.
Then we get into the comeback. The three tier system, the first beer can, Fritz Maytag saving Anchor Brewing, the Miller Lite "tastes great, less filling" boom, and the moment that changed everything for guys like us: Jimmy Carter legalizing homebrewing in 1978. From there it's a straight line to the IPA arms race, the IBU wars, the late 90s shakeout, the hazy NEIPA revolution, and 2015 when American breweries finally broke the record set back in 1873.
It's a lot of ground to cover, but that's kind of the point. 250 years of beer deserves a proper toast.
Grab a pint, settle in, and let's talk about how we got here.
Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.
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