The history of brewing stretches back thousands of years, and although beer as we know it (from fermented barley) had its origins in Mesopotamia, fermented beverages of some sort or another were produced in various forms around the world. In fact, the word beer comes from the Latin word bibere, to drink, and the root of the Spanish word cerveza originates from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Ceres. The map to the right shows the different types of beverages brewed around the world in medieval times. (Chicha is a corn beer and kumiss is a drink produced from fermented camel milk.)

In North America, fermented beverages were being produced long before the Europeans arrived. We know that the first European settlers were greeted by the Natives with a wine made from the persimmon. In the Southwestern region of the New World, the Native Peoples were brewing a beer made from the fermentation of maize. The passengers of the Mayflower, hoping to land in the more mild Southern climate, were forced ashore, in part, due to a shortage of beer. An entry from the journal of a Mayflower passenger, dated December 19, 1620 reads: “We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer.” As proof of the importance of beer, the daily consumption of the Puritans was regulated by law. They were allowed only two quarts for breakfast alone! In days gone by, there was little choice of beverages, and the poor management of waste disposal contaminated many water sources. People afraid of the water drank beer instead and it was drunk as readily as we drink water or soft drinks today.

The early English settlers of North America relied primarily on the importation of English beers. Two breweries, however, were established in 1629 which used maize instead of barley and produced an unhopped beer like the beers of England at the time. The Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, unlike its English counterparts relied primarily on local breweries instead of importing beer from the motherland. New Amsterdam was the first and biggest brewing center of the New World, and continued to be so even after its sale to the British and transformation to New York. Philadelphia was the second major brewing center of the New Colonies and began to rival New York in the late 17th century. In fact, many of our founding fathers were brewers. William Penn, the Quaker founder of the Pennsylvania colony had a brewery on his estate. Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams and even George Washington, whose recipe for beer can be found in the New York Public Library, were all brewers.

These early beers were all ales produced by top-fermenting yeast, like the beers found in England today. In 1840, the wave of German emigrants brought with them the bottom-fermenting lagers of Germany and began a brewing revolution in the United States. This, and subsequent emigrations brought such people as Frederick Pabst, Bernard Stroh, Joseph Schlitz, Adolph Coors, Henry Weinhard, Theodore Hamm and Eberhard Anheuser to name a few. These lagers quickly replaced ales, and even today the vast majority of breweries around the country, and even the world, were originally established by German emigrants and produce lagers.

Brewing in the United States peaked in the 1870s with 4131 breweries throughout the nation. From this apex right up until Prohibition, the numbers of breweries began to decline as companies merged and consolidated in an attempt to produce a beer that could sell nationwide. The anti-German sentiment fostered by the arrival of World War I set the atmosphere for the passage of the Volstead Act, which began the decade-long period of Prohibition. Over President Woodrow WilsonÕs veto, 1568 breweries closed in January of 1920 when Prohibition became national law. This law was repealed by President Roosevelt in April of 1933, and by the next year 756 breweries were in operation. The number of breweries began once again to decline as larger breweries pushed smaller breweries out of business in an effort to produce a beer that would sell nationally. Some middle sized breweries, (including Yuengling in Pottsville, PA, establ. in 1829 and operating today, it is the oldest brewery in the US) survived by catering to a local or regional taste, which was not a profitable avenue for larger breweries to pursue. The number of breweries in the United States had dwindled to less than 90, and just when it appeared as if the US was destined for one or two bland national beers, states began to pass legislation in the early 1980s allowing microbreweries to operate. Today, we are experiencing a boom in hand-crafted beer tailored to local and regional tastes. The number of breweries has stretched into the hundreds and continues to climb. With this also comes a renewed interest in top-fermented ales, in contrast to the widely available lagers. Be a part of the microbrew revolution and go immediately to the closest microbrewery or brewpub and have a beer!