Timeline
- 3500 BC - Earliest physical evidence of barley based fermented beverage, calcium oxalate (beer stone) found on ancient vessel in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, dates to ~5,500 years ago
- 1066 AD - The battle of Hastings, British are defeated by the Normans, after which wine started to gain favor as a more sophisticated beverage than beer
- 1067 - First mention of hops by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen
- 1400s - Cave ageing (lagering) introduced by Bavarian monks
- 1516 - German Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian purity law) enacted
- 1620 - Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock
- 1842 - Pilsener style introduced in Pilzn, Bohemia (present day Czech Republic)
- 1860s - Artificial refrigeration developed by Adolphus Busch
- 1870s - Discovery of yeast by Louis Pasteur
- 1880s - Golden age of brewing in America, 2,300 breweries in operation
- 1920 - Prohibition, the 18th Amendment, goes into effect on January 16
- 1933 - Prohibition, deemed the "Noble Experiment" was fully repealed on December 5
- 1967 - The first light beer (Gablinger's Diet Beer) was produced by New York's Rheingold Brewing Co.
- 1970s - Consolidation among domestic brewers and the entry of numerous imported beers results in regional breweries losing market share
- 1976 - Jack McAuliffe opens America's first micro-brewery, New Albion Brewing Company, in Sonoma, California
- 1978 - President Jimmy Carter legalizes home brewing
- 1983 - Only 52 breweries in operation in the United States
- 2005 - Craft beer becomes the fastest growing adult beverage
- 2008 - More than 1,400 breweries in operation in the US
Brewed in America
Presented by the History Channel
From colonial brewmasters to today's micro-brews, Anheuser-Busch to the trials of Prohibition, trace the fascinating history of American brewing.
Brewing beer is one of humanity's oldest activities, dating back thousands of years before the birth of Christ. When the Puritans first landed on America's shores, they brought recipes and thirst with them.
BREWED IN AMERICA is a comprehensive history of an often-overlooked industry that has long been a mainstay of the American economy. Extensive interviews with industry insiders including Richard Yuengling (president of the oldest brewery in America), August Pabst and William Coors provide a privileged view of their companies. Anheuser-Busch corporate historian Dr. William Vollmar details the impact and legacy of social movements like Temperance and Prohibition on American brewing, and visits to breweries show how beer is made today, from craft-brewing to corporate giants like Miller. And explore the massive impact that advertising has had in shaping the modern brewing industry.
From the original Sam Adams to Carrie Nation to Bud Light, this is the fascinating history of BREWED IN AMERICA.
Part 1 (of 6)
Part 2 (of 6)
Part 3 (of 6)
Part 4 (of 6)
Part 5 (of 6)
Part 6 (of 6)