You have undoubtedly become aware of the term “craft beer.” But do you know about the evolution of craft beer?
Beer has been a part of mankind’s culture for thousands of years, and is one of the world’s top three most popular beverages, the other two being water and tea. In “olden times,” beer was considered woman’s work, and the women were known as “ale wives.”
They made the bread and they made the beer – from the basic ingredients of each….grains of various types…wheat, corn, sorghum, rice, millet, and who knows what other ancient grains. Probably whatever was grown and harvested by the various cultures around the world.
The Europeans who settled our country brought their customs with them, including their brewing techniques. It is said that one of the main reasons the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock is because they were running out of staples and supplies, mainly beer!
An entry into the diary of a Mayflower passenger named Williams Bradford in 1622 reads, “For we could not now take time for further search or consideration: our victuals being much spent, especially our beer.” These settlers began to congregate and build communities.
One of the first buildings to be built in many of these small communities and towns was the “local brewery.” George Washington brewed his own beer and Thomas Jefferson owned his own commercial brewery. By 1873 there were over 4,000 small local breweries in America!
Lack of transportation, refrigeration and a good method to seal the bottles contributed to the necessity of small hometown breweries. With the advent of refrigeration and longer-distance transportation, the only thing lacking was how to keep the bottles sealed. In the early 1890s, the “crown bottle cap” was invented and patented. This invention sealed the deal – literally!
By 1897, the necessity for a brewery in every town had declined, and the number decreased to approximately 2,000 (less than half than in 1873). The decline continued until it reached rock bottom with the start of prohibition in the 1920s. By 1934, there were few legitimate breweries left; those still trying to operate were only brewing “near beer.” Most of the small, hometown breweries had already closed (the Arizona Brewery and the Pacific Brewery in Prescott included) and never recovered.
A small uptick of breweries began once prohibition was repealed in early 1930s and reached a peak of about 1,000 by 1940 or so. Another decline began during WWII and the number never climbed again until the mid 1980s. Beer in America was dominated by the big three – who were producing homogenous lagers meant to feed the masses (much like sliced white bread did) without much consideration for recreating the varietal beers from the Old World. The beers being produced were brewed with barley but because barley was expensive (and still is), they added adjunct grains, namely rice and corn. The Old World beer styles mostly disappeared, with the exception of just a few small regional breweries such as Yuengling that tried to continue some traditional styles such as Bocks, Ales and Porters. Over time, Americans became convinced that beer was supposed to be ice cold, light and highly carbonated lagers.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter legalized home brewing, and one by one, states followed. People experimented on their kitchen stoves and in their garages and the frenzy of home brewing took root. In the mid-1980s, Americans’ tastes began to change in many ways. They were tired of sliced white bread, fizzy yellow beer, watered down ice milk – and the revolution against mass-production took hold.
These home brewers had a passion for full-bodied, flavorful, unique and interesting beers. Some took the giant step in the late 1980s and believed they could turn their passion into their livelihood. One of the first to do so in 1988 was John Hickenlooper in Denver, Colorado, an unemployed geologist who opened one of the first “brewpubs” in America. Others followed, fueled by the American Spirit of Entrepreneurship and their passion for beer. There was a surge for a few years; Prescott Brewing Company opened in downtown Prescott in 1994 and still holds the sixth microbrewery license issued in Arizona.
The original term for this new segment of American breweries was “microbreweries.” We were brewing beer on a “micro level” compared to the big corporate brewery conglomerates. We were risk-takers, and were up against a formidable established industry. We had a common dream, but we took different pathways, which will be the topic of my next article. What is micro-brewed beer? What defines Craft Beer? What’s the difference between a brewpub, a microbrewery, a regional brewery and the newest segment of our industry, the nano-brewery? QCBN
By Roxane Nielsen
Next month: Craft Beer Defined.
Roxane Nielsen is co-founder and co-owner/operator of Prescott Brewing Company. She and her husband share the many hats involved in running a successful brewpub and microbrewery. She has served on several community Boards of Directors, the Sharlot Hall Board of Trustees, Prescott Tourism Advisory Committee and the Prescott General Plan Committee.
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