The United States of Beer: A Freewheeling History of the All-American Drink

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In The United States of Beer, Dane Huckelbridge, the author of Bourbon: A History of the American Spirita Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance bestsellercharts the surprisingly fascinating history of Americans relationship with their most popular alcoholic beverage. Huckelbridge shows how beer has evolved along with the countryfrom a local and regional product (once upon a time every American city has its own brewery and iconic beer brand) to the rise of global mega-brands like Budweiser and Miller that are synonymous with U.S. capitalism. We learn of George Washingtons failed attempt to brew beer at Mount Vernon with molasses instead of barley, of the 19th century Beer Barons like Captain Frederick Pabst, Adolphus Busch, and Joseph Schlitz who revolutionized commercial brewing and built lucrative empiresand the American immigrant experienceand of the advances in brewing and bottling technology that allowed beer to flow in the saloons of the Wild West. Throughout, Huckelbridge draws connections between seemingly remote fragments of the American past, and shares his reports from the front-lines of todays craft-brewing revolution.

Reviews

"An irreverent but informative jaunt through the history of America and beer." -- Chicago Tribune "A must-read for all beer lovers." -- Library Journal "Huckelbridge shows how beer, the most popular alcoholic drink in America ... has been America's essential thirst-quencher throughout our history." -- New York Post "A relaxing, entertaining, and informative read." -- Charlie Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

Author Bio

Dane Huckelbridge hails from the American Middle West and studied history at Princeton University. His writing has appeared in Tin House, The New Republic, and New Delta Review; he is at work on a new book tracing the history of beer in America.