Tag: beer history

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In the history books

I may be in Portland, networking with a great group of beer bloggers but that won’t stop me from thinking about the LA beer scene….

Late last month, KCET.org posted an informative slice of Los Angeles history focusing on breweries.

It got me to thinking that we need to get our current LA craft beer boosters and artists to pay a little homage to our past. The easiest way being to make some lagers that call back the old beer names like Eastside and Brew 102. Or maybe make a Zobelein & Maier session ale.

Or to take it one step further, take our new pop-up beer gardens to some of these historical brewing spots and have a history professor talk about the site and and the stories of brewing from the early days of the City of Angels.

I am sure there are some stories to tell.

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Beer, book and God

If someone works at UC Davis and writes about beer. You might want to pay attention. I am certainly going to order this one to read with my next beer.

“Legendary beer expert Charlie Bamforth presents the most compelling social history of beer ever written: where it’s come from, and where it’s headed. From centuries-old cultural values to radical new approaches, craft brewing to globalization, it’s an amazing story. Bamforth tells it all–with humor, behind-the-scenes insight, and sheer joy!”

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Los Angeles Brewing history

Last month, I visited Strand Brewing and there on the desk in front of me as I drank 24th Street Pale Ale was this old beer can…..

The back of the can had this wonderful copy on it. “Our beer is packed in this modern container for your protection and convenience. This container is designed to afford all possible protection to the quality and flavor of this brew, which is the result of the use of choice materials and many years of brewing experience.” And it had this crazy cone top.

To learn more about the history of Los Angeles Brewing and the fate of Eastside beer click HERE

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Don Younger (and other beery news)


If you want to hear one of the people that made craft beer drinking as easy and fun as it is today, then take a listen to part 1 of Lisa Morrison’s interview with Don Younger of Horse Brass fame.

You can listen on iTunes HERE or go to her website HERE to listen to Don as well as learn about Fort George Brewing’s expansion and Full Sail’s Bump in the Night.

To learn about where craft beer was back in the 1970’s is amazing. Most bars had one tap and that one tap had one beer. Their beer menu was the neon sign outside that said either Olympia, Blitz, Rainier or one of the other breweries.

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Cheers: A History of Beer in Canada

Here is what the press release has to say…“The author of Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why It’s Necessary is back. Nick Pashley brings his wit to bear on beer’s illustrious history in Canada, from Prohibition (and who thought that was a good idea?) to the beer that turned Quebec City drinkers blue and actually killed sixteen of them in 1966. Where else this season will you find a book that includes Prince Charles, Paris Hilton, Ron Keefe, and Rocco Perri, the great Hamilton bootlegger of the 1920s (you may be able to find him today encased in cement at the bottom of Burlington Bay)?”

From that description, it looks to be a fun book. I have recently read two history books. Both great topics. One was as dry as day old toast. The other is bright and lively. I certainly hope this book is more of the latter. You can find this at Amazon. (And to digress, shouldn’t Amazon ship beer?)