History of the Week

Alcohol History Links for July 29 - August 5th
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Beer shouldn't have too much Twang

Boak and Bailey review a court case from 1904 where a troubled publican claimed a beer had too much 'twang'

Burton's IPA in India

The tale of Burton IPA getting to India. Thoroughly enjoyed this one

"The London brewer Hodgson's owns the beer market in India. He has good links with the East India Company's sea captains and they make a lot of money by transporting and selling his beers. But Hodgson gets greedy and tries to hike prices, flooding the market with cheap beer whenever a competitor appears, then whacking them up again when the competitor backs off. "

Dundulis

Lars continues his tour of farmhouse ales in Lithuania

German Brewery in Philly

“Founded in 1882 by two German saloon-keepers, George Weisbrod and Christian Hess, the brewery grew to a full-block complex between Frankford Avenue and the aptly named Amber Street.”

History of Refrigeration

A fascinating review on the techniques used to cool wine in Rome and the beer caves in 1800s America.

​“Although we often overlook it, the temperatures of food and drinks could serve as indicators of wealth and luxury before the late 19th century. Mechanical refrigeration was actually a response to the needs of brewers, since the process of brewing and fermentation required natural cooling of the fermenting beer.”

OHBA turns 3

Happy birthday to the Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives! http://thebrewstorian.tumblr.com/

Old malting facility in York

Converting an old malting facility into a housing area. A bit of a heartbreaker, but at least they’re preserving the artifacts.

Replacing Schenk Beer

The story of the rise of fresh beer (i.e. lager) in the United States. This is but one of the articles Gary Gillman has penned this week, and I encourage everyone to go have a look at what else he has written.

​“But if the long-aged lager was so good, why did American breweries abandon it, something that happened in Europe too albeit later? Did they sacrifice the best quality for commercial convenience and profit? Why did they not sell some long-aged lager as a specialty?  Most consumer products have different grades.”

Steinbier

Jester King and Scratch Brewing team up to make a steinbier. The photos are fantastic!

Those who research beer

A great editorial on the recent job posting from the Smithsonian.