The United States of Beer: The True Tale of How Beer Conquered America, From B.C. to Budweiser and Beyond

by Dane Huckelbridge

Overview

From the author of "the definitive history of bourbon" (Sacramento Bee) comes "an irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer" (Chicago Tribune)

Dane Huckelbridge's masterful cultural history charts the wild, engrossing, and surprisingly complex story of our favorite alcoholic drink, showing how America has been under the influence of beer at almost every stage. From the earliest Native American corn brew to the waves of immigrants who brought with them their unique brewing traditions, to the seemingly infinite varieties of craft-brewed suds found on tap today, beer has claimed an outsized place in our culture that far transcends its few simple ingredients—water, barley, and hops. Despite the drink's ubiquity—Americans consume six billion gallons a year—the story of beer in the USA is as diverse and fascinating as the country itself.

Drawing upon a wealth of little-known historical sources, explaining the scientific breakthroughs that have shaped beer's evolution, and mixing in more than a splash of dedicated on-the-ground research, The United States of Beer offers a raucous and enlightening toast to the all-American drink.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062389770
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/04/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	673,853
Product dimensions:	4.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dane Huckelbridge has written for the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, The New Republic, and New Delta Review. He is the author of No Beast So Fierce, The United States of Beer, and Bourbon, as well as a novel, Castle of Water. A graduate of Princeton University, he lives in Paris.

Table of Contents

Prologue: E Pluribus, Brewdog 1

1 New England 9

A Proper Happy Hour for the Mayflower

2 New York and the Mid-Atlantic 51

Of Yankee Clippers and Flying Dutchmen

3 The South 83

A Little Dixie Goes a Long Way

4 The Midwest 121

The German Beer Barons Finally Hop to It

5 The West 187

Beers of the Wild Frontier

6 The West Coast 229

Wish They All Could Be California Brews

Epilogue: In Beer We Trust 263

Acknowledgments 269

Bibliography 271

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

An irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer.” — Chicago Tribune

“A must-read for all beer lovers.” — Library Journal

“Huckelbridge shows how beer, the most popular alcoholic drink in America ... has been America’s essential thirst-quencher throughout our history.” — New York Post

“A relaxing, entertaining, and informative read.” — Charlie Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

From the Publisher

Huckelbridge shows how beer, the most popular alcoholic drink in America ... has been America’s essential thirst-quencher throughout our history.

New York Post

A relaxing, entertaining, and informative read.

Charlie Papazian

An irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer.

Chicago Tribune

An irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer.

Chicago Tribune

Huckelbridge shows how beer, the most popular alcoholic drink in America ... has been America’s essential thirst-quencher throughout our history.

New York Post

An irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer. ... Cozy up with this book and a cold one, and drink to this nation’s proud, hoppy history.

RedEye Chicago

Engrossing. … [Huckelbridge] forges riveting details into the story of how beer shaped ‘the regional histories of this country.’ … Good reading, fascinating history.

Booklist

05/30/2016
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 beer—"beginning with the earliest American settlers, and continuing on up to the craft brews of the present day"—reveals 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)

Publishers Weekly

06/15/2016
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

Library Journal