History of the Week

Alcohol History links May 5 - 12
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A History of English Ale & Beer

Excerpts from a book about the state of the English beer industry in 1966.

"All the successful beers launched on a national scale in the ten years following the last war, whether pale in colour or dark, were sweeter rather than drier. Now, some twenty years later, the situation is changing again, and full-drinking bitter beers, both in bottle and in cask, are returning to prominence. "
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Bert Grant

A brief look into Bert Grant, the man who opened the first brewpub in the US since prohibition.

"I have not read as widely about Bert Grant as I hope to soon but it is so nice to read that he was a bit weird, maybe uppiddy and a touch disagreeable. We are all so quick to praise and beatify to the point of blandification that coming across the mere human in craft is becoming sadly rare."
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Celsus

Your translation for the week! This time, an excerpt from Aulus Cornelius Celsus.
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Shared Malting House

Another log in Lars Garshol's many travels throughout Scandinavia searching for farmhouse ales. 

"They call themselves Dånnåbakken Såinnhuslag, the group of 4-5 brewers and malters who share one brewery and malt kiln. From the outside the house looks like someone's home, except it's too small and doesn't have enough windows. Inside, the malting part of the house is bare and functional, but the brewery is more homely, with a kitchen and a table for gatherings"
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A revival of Pulque

A great piece on the Pulque revival in Mexico!

"For centuries (or perhaps longer), pulque was not just prized, it was sacred, its consumption restricted to the holy and the wise. The Aztecs knew it as the Drink of the Gods or centzontotochin—literally “400 rabbits,” so called for the 400 different people you could become under its influence—and associated it closely with Mayahuel, the goddess of fertility and embodiment of the agave plant, or maguey."

Oldest pub in New York

A book released this last Tuesday on the oldest operating pub in New York.

A history of the American IPA

A podcast from the Beervana blog about the history of the American IPA.

"​In the latest Beervana podcast, Jeff Alworth and Patrick Emerson recount a history of the American IPA. They begin with the birth of the style in England and disprove a few myths before tracing the style’s evolution in America. With the stage set, the two time travel through 35 years of IPAs by tasting classics from three distinct eras."

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Missed from Last Week
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I unfortunately had to miss the roundup last week, but one post that is definitely worth a read is - 
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Lager Riots

A look at how anti-immigration policies lead to the eventual riot of German neighborhoods in Chicago.

"German neighborhoods reacted quickly, accusing Boone of stripping their rights and marginalizing them based on their ethnicity. The backlash started peacefully—Germans held public meetings and submitted numerous petitions. The city rejected them all."