The United States of Beer

May 30, 2016
Huckelbridge (Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit) switches his focus to "the ubiquity across the length and breadth of American civilization" of beer, of which Americans consume six billion gallons on a yearly basis. As in his earlier work, Huckelbridge delivers a fascinating look at American history, arguing that the local production of beerâ"beginning with the earliest American settlers, and continuing on up to the craft brews of the present day"âreveals how local beers "actually helped to shape the distinctive regional cultures that would cohere and combine to build a nation." Displaying an enormous understanding of American history as well as a fine wit, Huckelbridge starts with the beer shortage that was a "source of stress" for all aboard the Mayflower, and notes that drinking beer was "as much a part of office life in New England" as Excel charts today. He engagingly analyzes the Dutch influence on beer-making in New York, explains the role of local corn production as an influence on the beer made in the South, details how the German migration to Midwest America in 1848 led to the darker lagers that of breweries such as Busch and Schlitz, explores how Prohibition led to the production of the "sweeter, more watery, and less flavorful" beers that still dominate the market, and looks at the "unexpected innovations" of West Coast companies such as Anchor Brewing that led to the birth of microbrewing.

June 15, 2016

In this lively romp through American history with beer at the center, Huckelbridge (Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit) goes from east to west, combining regional background with a roughly chronological approach. The author begins with the beer rations on the Mayflower and continues to discuss the brewing practices of the Founding Fathers, ending with the California origins of the craft beer movement that has spread across the United States. Stories and anecdotes are intermingled with thorough research, including explanations of the historical scarcity of beer in the early South (barley didn't grow well, and bourbon traveled better), the influence of European immigrants on American beer culture, and the lasting effects of Prohibition. Huckelbridge explains how savvy marketing and the rise of technology (especially refrigerated railroad cars) enabled a handful of Midwestern breweries to dominate the industry and spread their style of German-inspired lager beers nationwide. VERDICT The author's breezy style is a perfect match for his subject. For readers interested in American history and a must-read for all beer lovers.--Nicholas Graham, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
Those killjoys who forced Prohibition on us early in the last century were indirectly responsible for another unwelcome burden: income tax. According to Huckelbridge's heavily researched history of beer, Congress saw what was happening and in 1916 established an income tax to make up for the coming loss of alcohol revenue. That's the sort of I'll-be-damned detail that makes this book so engrossing. The author forges those riveting details into the story of how beer shaped the regional histories of this country. We learn, for example, that the megabreweries of the nineteenth centuryAnheuser-Busch, Pabstwere midwestern because the heartland offered the huge open space these behemoths required. The beer barons created sprawling beer gardens that became among the first truly American mega-amusement parks. He halts frequently to lament the belly wash that American beer became after WWII, but rallies for a hope-for-the-future ending. He's convinced that the microbreweries are serving up beer like it used to be: darker, richer, more character-driven. Those adjectives apply to this book, too: good reading, fascinating history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)