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The Mayflower landing in Plymouth
Forced to anchor in Plymouth as food and beer reserves were drying up, William Bradford noted in his journal, “We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our Beere.” -
The Nation with 'Spirits' turmoil
Joseph Coppinger petitioned to President Madison to establish a national brewery in Washington, D.C.
“As a national object it has in my view the greatest importance as it would unquestionably tend to improve the quality of our Malt liquors in every point of the Union. And serve to counteract the baneful influence of ardent spirits on the health and Morals of our fellow Citizens.” -
The Discovery of Lager
Until 1842 all beers everywhere were dark, cloudy or both. In that year, brewers in Pilsen (the Austrian province of Bohemia) discovered a process for making a clear, golden beer, generally known as lager, -
The Birth of Miller Brewing
Charles Best of Milwaukee created a lager brewery and seven years later sold the company to a young German named Frederick Miller. -
Creation of Anheuser- Busch
Eberhard Anheuser, a creditor from St. Louis, takes over a failed brewing business and asks his son-in-law, Adolphus Busch, to take over management of the Bavarian brewing company. -
The Recipe for Success
Near Pilsen was a town that had a recipe for a sweeter, more golden version lager. Busch felt the beverage was ideally suited to American tastes. The town was called Ceske Budejovice, better known by its German name, Budweis. -
Inception of the American league
The American Association is established in retaliation to the puritanical National League. Dubbed the "Beer and Whiskey League," AA sought out to cater to its audience by selling cheap tickets and selling beer at games. (National League banned booze.) -
The "Every-man" Saloons Become Refuge.
A western immigrant writes, "The saloon exists in our town because … it offers a common meeting place. It dispenses good cheer. It ministers to the craving for fellowship. To the exhausted, worn-out body, to the strained nerves, the relaxation brings rest.” -
WWI Brings the End of Comradity
Beer still being defined by its German roots, and the U.S. drawing closer to joining the war effort, antialcohol feeling merged with nationalism and xenophobia to attack beer.
“We have German enemies in this country too,” declared one leading Wisconsin prohibitionist, “and the worst of all our German enemies, the most treacherous, the most menacing, are Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, and Miller.” -
18th Amendment Ratified (Prohibition)
The 18th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919. The U.S. begins the so-called, "Noble Experiment." Home-brewing mushrooms and speakeasies provide booze to patrons. -
21st Amendment (Prohibition Repealed)
Ratification of the 21st Amendment. President Franklin Roosevelt signed in the amendment, also known as the Volstead Act, ending prohibition in the U.S. -
The Power of Brew
U.S. beer sales in 2008 made over $97 Billion. A staggering 6,550,000,000 gallons of U.S. beer was consumed in the world within that same time. Ode to a wonderful time.
