American Beer

Who doesn’t like beer? Lots of people, apparently. As Americans sought to remedy the ills plaguing their society, beer was caught in the cross hairs. We tell the story of how the American beer industry rose to defend itself against Progressive Era reforms in a decades-long fight. And it almost worked.

Find the full transcript of this episode including citations at our website:

https://www.americanhistoryremix.com/episodeguide/american-beer

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In this episode we cover…

• Introduction [0:00-04:01]
• Beer in Early America [04:01-08:06]
• Early Reform Movements [08:06-11:54]
• Beer Responds to Temperance [11:54-12:46]
• Moderate Success [12:46-14:03]
• Growth of the Beer Industry [14:03-16:37]
• Second Wave of Temperance [16:37-17:46]
• Women, Alcohol, & Women’s Rights [17:46-21:30]
• Beer as Medicine [21:30-24:04]
• Beer & the Economy [24:04-24:45]
• Failures of the Second Wave of Temperance [24:45-26:26]
• Saloons [26:26-30:22]
• Local Option [30:22-32:29]
• Pure Food Movement [32:29-36:20]
• Beer & Pure Food [36:20-37:48]     
• Tax Revenue & Regulation [37:48-41:18]
• Beer on the Defense [41:18-42:42]
• World War One [42:42-44:47]
• Anti-German Sentiment [44:47-46:23]
• Beer & WWI [46:23-47:47]
• Prohibition & Other Reforms [47:47-49:46]
• Conclusion

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To dive deeper into these topics (affiliate links):

Stanley Baron, Brewed in America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States.
https://tinyurl.com/Baron-Brewed

Thomas C. Cochran, The Pabst Brewing Company: The History of an American Business.
https://tinyurl.com/Cochran-Pabst

Perry R. Duis, The Saloon: Public Drinking in Chicago and Boston, 1880-1920.
https://tinyurl.com/Duis-The-Saloon

Richard F. Hamm, Shaping the Eighteenth Amendment: Temperance Reform, Legal Culture, and the Polity, 1880-1920.
https://tinyurl.com/Hamm-Shaping

Lisa McGirr, The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State.
https://tinyurl.com/McGirr-The-War

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 4:01 Beer in Early America
• 8:06 Early Reform Movements
• 11:54 Beer Responds to Temperance
• 12:46 Moderate Success
• 14:03 Growth of the Beer Industry
• 16:37 Second Wave of Temperance
• 17:46 Women, Alcohol, & Women's Rights
• 21:30 Beer as Medicine
• 24:04 Beer & the Economy
• 24:45 Failures of the Second Wave of Temperance
• 26:26 Saloons
• 30:22 Local Option
• 32:29 Pure Food Movement
• 36:20 Beer & Pure Food
• 37:48 Tax Revenue & Regulation
• 41:18 Beer on the Defense
• 42:42 World War One
• 44:47 Anti-German Sentiment
• 46:23 Beer & WWI
• 47:47 Prohibition & Other Reforms
• 49:46 Conclusion