American Beer History: From the Mayflower to Microbreweries

Medal winner - Nonfiction Book Awards: Follow beer through American history from the first settlers to the 21st century. Along the way discover the history of breweries past and present. As you travel the timeline you'll meet the people who built breweries both large and small. Then, as their stories play out you'll witness the successes and disappointments they experienced as beer paralleled the growth of the country. Through time Beer and Brewing are impacted by war, a regularly fluctuating economy, and the introduction of both modern advertising and technology. Explained are the manner in which politics (Prohibition) and Nature (the Dust Bowl) shaped the industry and changed the very character of beer itself. When the story reaches the nineteen-fifties and sixties the number of breweries dwindles as the Mega brewers grab an increasing market share and force smaller breweries out of business. Finally, the story arrives at profiles of the pioneers of craft brewing.