Happy 4th of July and extra hooray for 250 years as a country! Read on for some historical beer information!
Beer was certainly available in the 13 colonies in 1776. There was a lively tavern culture in the cities and in the country, many brewed their own beer or made hard cider. There are several historical figures associated with beer – Sameul Adams, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin.
Sameul Adams is well known but maybe for the current brewery (Boston Beer Company) using this name but the historical figure was also prominent in brewing in the 1770’s. History indicates that Adams was a malt maker – taking raw barley and malting it in preparation for brewing. Adams was a proponent of beer and support of the 13 colonies with a Buy America First campaign that included beer! This campaign also supported Adams political career opposing British rule and taxation!
George Washington mentions beer in several of his diary entries and accounts from his household. A recipe for “small beer’ was found in his diary. A small beer is a weaker beer to be consumed by all ages. It is also on record that George Washington liked Porter beer. A brewery in Philadelphia owned by Robert Hare made a Porter that George Washington enjoyed. When the brewery burned, there were records showing that Washington tried to purchase all the remaining Porter for his own consumption.
Benjamin Franklin was a known wine drinker but also consumed beer. Franklin was a publisher, and his books and Poor Richards Almanac mentioned beer, beer recipes, and different types of barley. There was a competition in 2005 to brew a beer from colonial times, and Poor Richard’s Ale was the winning recipe. This beer used barley malt as well as corn and molasses, both ingredients used in beers of the 1770’s. This ale would have been on the darker side, and the molasses influenced the flavor. Franklin is also credited with the following saying: Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be Happy!
In honor of the 250th anniversary, Boston Beer Company (Sameul Adams) has brewed a Patriotic Beer Collection – four beers using traditional recipes. The beers are George Washiington Porter, James Madison Dark Wheat Ale, 1790 Hard Root Beer, and No. 3 Ginger Honey Ale. Look for these beers for your 4th of July Celebration. As always, drink responsibly!
