Brewing History Of…

Welcome to the brewing history of the Brooklyn of the Berkshires!

The Berkshire Brewing Association thrived at the turn of the 20th century and distributed beer from Maine to the Carolinas. Production was halted when the Wartime Prohibition Act was passed in 1918 and legal brewing ceased for 78 years. Arrowhead Brewing started at 34 Depot Street, which was followed by Old Saddleback Brewing Company and Pittsfield Brew Works. Curren...

Discover the brewing history of the Smile Capital of America!

The small town of Pocatello is creating a craft beer destination in the middle of southeastern Idaho. The movement started with Penny Pink and Portneuf Valley Brewing in 1996 and has recently added a trio of new brewhouses: Jim Dandy Brewing, Off the Rails Brewing, and Star Route Brewery. They are all building upon the legacy that American Brewing Company and East Idaho ...

Discover the brewing history of the Elm City!

Known as the Milwaukee of the East Coast in the 19th century, New Haven has been home to dozens of breweries and brewers since the 1600s. While not all of them will be discussed in detail, the episode highlights the historical Fresenius and Sons Brewing Company, Rock Brewery, and Hull Brewing Company. Currently, Erector Brewing Collective and East Rock Brewing Company are continuing the...

Discover the brewing history of the Mother of the Dakotas!

The small South Dakota town does not have a vast brewing history, but has been home to a number of successful breweries. Schwenk-Barth Brewing Company lead the way before Prohibition, while Backspace Brewing Company now operates out of part of their old building. They joined Ben's Brewing Company to give locals and travelers a couple of delectable options.

Suggested beers w...

Discover the brewing history of the Two Mile High City!

Leadville began as a mountainous mining community and was home to number of different brewhouses, few of which lasted more than a couple of years in Colorado. After the town nearly disappeared when the mines closed, locals reinvented the area as an outdoor paradise for adventure lovers. Brewing picked up again in the 21st century even though the elevation causes some major cha...

Discover the brewing history of the Holy City!

There can be no debate that Charleston has one of the best craft beer scenes in the country. Beer was commercially produced as early as the 1720s on the islands and formalized with Palmetto Brewing Company after the Civil War. The name has carried on to modern day and inspired dozens of brewers to make the South Carolina city their home base, with many of those being in the neighborhoo...

Discover the brewing history of Junction City!

The boom of commercial beer in Utah began in Ogden with the emergence of Becker Brewing in 1892. Even in a state that was not known for consuming alcohol, the brewery thrived until the 1960s. The Beckers made great beer, but, more importantly, set a brewing standard for the area. Roosters Brewing Company continued that legacy (with multiple locations), and newcomers Talisman Brewing Co...

Discover the brewing history of Lake Tahoe! Well, at least the northwest corner of it.

Truckee was a quiet stop on the Transcontinental Railroad, but housed one of the most well-known breweries of the late 19th century. Boca Brewery won awards from California to Europe and could ship their product around the country by packing train cars with the ample amount of ice in the area. The town has recently become a popular skiing destina...

Discover the brewing history of the Gateway to the West!

Omaha's brewing history is as deep as any in the Midwest. Led by the big three (Krug Brewing Company, Metz Brothers Brewing Company, and Storz Brewing Company) in the late 19th century, production soared until Prohibition. The trio of Nebraska breweries made a comeback into the 1970s, but ultimately succumbed to the big beer brands. Today, Upstream Brewing Company, Infusion B...

Discover the brewing history of the Heart of Georgia!

Beer in the South may have formally originated in Macon, a town smack in the middle of Georgia and just 90 miles outside of Atlanta, with the opening of Russell and Peter's Macon Brewery in 1837. It closed in 1878, but paved the way for the Acme Brewing Company, one of the largest in the South before Prohibition. Today, proud brewers are bringing beer back to Macon at the Macon ...

Discover the brewing history of Utopia!

A large group of Harmonists came to Southern Indiana from Pennsylvania to start a grand Utopian society. One of their most profitable businesses was a brewery, operated by George Bentel. His recipe has recently been discovered and was recreated by a dozen breweries in the state, including one that was stationed just a couple of blocks from his original house.

Suggested beers when visiting: Ha...

Discover the brewing history of rural Kansas!

A local bar in a small town is a place of comfort and legend. In the rural plains of Kansas, a brewery found roots in a community of no more than two dozen people. The population swelled on weeknights as thirsty travelers from near and far gathered for a drink at Mo's Place. Inside, Beaver Brewery was fermenting beer in a simple setup that came to beloved by all who were lucky enough to...

Discover the brewing history of the Oil City!

Casper has jumped on the hometown brew scene a bit late (twice). The city's first brewery, Casper Brewing Company, did not open until 1914, just five years before the state enacted Prohibition. It struggled to survive during Wyoming's dry years and World War II before eventually ceasing. The city did not have a brewhouse until 2017 when Frontier Brewing Company opened. Now, visitors can...

Discover the brewing history of the Land of the Goonies!

Astoria has a rich brewing history that dates back to the regional powerhouse of North Pacific Brewing Company. They struggled to commercially produce local beer after Prohibition until the late 1990s with the emergence of Pacific Rim Brewery (aka Astoria Brewing Company and Wet Dog Cafe). Now, Fort George Brewery, Hondo's Brewpub, Buoy Beer Company, and Reach Break Brewing a...

Discover the brewing history of Oregon!

Tiah Edmunson-Morton, the curator of the Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives at Oregon State University, joins us to reveal the beer history of the Beaver State. Brewing started with monasteries in the Oregon Territory and has evolved to include hundreds of brewhouses, which have formed one of the best craft beer states in the country. We will discuss the trends, the laws, and the people behind ...

Discover the brewing history of Baseballtown!

The history of brewing in Reading dates back to the days of the Revolution with Bright Brewery keeping patrons happy for decades. In the 1800s, Frederick Lauer and Peter Barbey made the city one of the best beer producers in Pennsylvania, while Reading Brewing Company and Sunshine Brewing Company paved the way after Prohibition. Today, the city boasts four exciting breweries within its ...

Discover the history of the Friendly City!

Home to over 20 breweries in the 1880s, Wheeling became a major industrial hub in Appalachia. The most popular, Reymann Brewing Company, began in 1849 and remained in the beer business until the Yost Law in West Virginia in 1914. Today, visitors to the town can enjoy a fresh pint at Wheeling Brewing Company and Brew Keepers, new focal points of the downtown area.

Suggested beers when visit...

Discover the brewing history of the Mall City!

The brewing history of Kalamazoo is meticulously detailed from the first brewery in the 1830s through the number of companies that brewed under the Kalamazoo Brewing Company name to the present day resurgence. The Michigan city is most well-known as the home to Bell's Brewery, the oldest craft brewery in the state, but is also headquarters for many other present-day success stories.

Su...

Discover the brewing history of the Lilac City!

The center of Eastern Washington, Spokane was founded in 1873 and named after the local tribe in the area. Breweries came soon after because of the great wealth of usable water in the form of Spokane Brewing Company, Inland Brewing Company, and Schade Brewery. After Prohibition, local beer continued to be created with regional conglomerates - Bohemian Breweries and Sick Brewery Enterp...