Beer in the USA: history, traditions and breweries
The country where the craft beer movement began. Today there are more than 9,000 breweries in the USA.
History
The first settlers were already brewing beer. The Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed at Plymouth in 1620 partly because they were running out of beer. In the 19th century German immigrants brought lager with them: David Gottlieb Jüngling founded the Yuengling brewery in Pottsville in 1829, today the oldest in the USA, while Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis and Pabst, Schlitz and Miller in Milwaukee grew into big breweries.
The Founding Fathers had their connections to beer too: Samuel Adams worked in his father’s malt house, and beer was brewed regularly at Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello.
Prohibition (1920–1933) wiped out a large share of the breweries. From 7 April 1933 light beer was legal again, and in December Prohibition ended completely. Afterwards a few corporations dominated the market with light lagers; by the late 1970s there were fewer than a hundred breweries.
In 1978 homebrewing was legalised at federal level, but only in 2013 in all states. Pioneers such as Anchor in San Francisco, New Albion and Sierra Nevada sparked the craft beer revolution.
Today there are more breweries in the USA than ever before, and almost every town has its own. Cities such as Portland, Denver, San Diego and Asheville even market themselves as “Beer City”.
Traditions and drinking culture
American brewers made hops such as Cascade, Centennial and Citra, with their citrus and tropical aromas, famous worldwide. Taprooms, where you taste right at the brewery, and festivals such as the Great American Beer Festival in Denver are typical.
Fun facts
- The Yuengling brewery survived Prohibition partly by making ice cream in its own dairy.
- After Prohibition ended, Anheuser-Busch sent a team of Clydesdale horses on tour in 1933. Along the way it delivered a case of beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.
- In 1757 George Washington noted down a recipe for “small beer”, a light beer made with molasses.
- On 24 January 1935 the first canned beer went on sale: Krueger’s Cream Ale, at first only as a test in Richmond, Virginia.
- The beer at Monticello was brewed mainly by an enslaved man, Peter Hemings, who had been trained by an English brewer.
- The pull tab first appeared on beer cans in 1962 – on Iron City beer from Pittsburgh.
Typical beer styles
Beer cities and their stories
Pottsville
Yuengling has been brewing here since 1829 – the oldest operating brewery in the USA, family-owned to this day.
Milwaukee
Once the beer capital of the USA with Pabst, Schlitz and Miller. The city’s baseball team is still called the “Brewers”.
St. Louis
The Budweiser brand was created here in 1876. On 7 April 1933 Anheuser-Busch presented its team of Clydesdale horses here for the first time.
San Francisco
In 1965 Fritz Maytag saved the Anchor Brewery and its “steam beer”, a warm-fermented beer made with lager yeast, known as California common. The brewery closed in 2023; in 2024 the entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya bought it to reopen it.
Chico
In 1980 Sierra Nevada brewed the pale ale whose Cascade hops shaped the taste of a whole generation.
Boston
Samuel Adams, one of the founding fathers of the USA, worked as a maltster. Jim Koch named his beer after him in 1984.
New Glarus (Wisconsin)
The New Glarus brewery sells its Spotted Cow only in Wisconsin – fans from other states take it home by the case.
Denver
The Great American Beer Festival, one of the largest beer festivals in the world, takes place here every year.
Portland (Oregon)
Portland calls itself “Beervana”: hardly any city has so many breweries per resident. Plenty of hops grow in the nearby Willamette Valley.
Richmond (Virginia)
In 1935 the Krueger brewery from Newark test-marketed the world’s first canned beer here – with great success.
Breweries and their stories
Yuengling
Founded by the German immigrant David Gottlieb Jüngling, who Americanised his name. The oldest operating brewery in the USA is still family-owned and survived Prohibition with near beer and ice cream.
Known for: Traditional Lager
Anheuser-Busch
Adolphus Busch turned his father-in-law Eberhard Anheuser’s brewery into a corporation. Budweiser (1876) became one of the best-selling beer brands in the world. Since 2008 Anheuser-Busch has been part of AB InBev.
Known for: Budweiser, Michelob
Anchor
Preserved “steam beer” and, under Fritz Maytag from 1965, became the model for craft brewers.
Known for: Anchor Steam Beer, Liberty Ale
New Albion
Jack McAuliffe founded one of the first new small breweries in the USA. It only lasted a few years but inspired a whole generation.
Known for: New Albion Ale
Sierra Nevada
Ken Grossman built his first brewhouse from used dairy equipment. His pale ale with Cascade hops became a classic.
Known for: Pale Ale, Torpedo
Boston Beer Company
Jim Koch brewed Samuel Adams Boston Lager from an old family recipe.
Known for: Samuel Adams Boston Lager
New Glarus
Founded by Deb and Dan Carey; their Spotted Cow is only available in Wisconsin.
Known for: Spotted Cow
Timeline
- 1620Plymouth
The Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth – partly because they are running out of beer.
- 1829Pottsville
David Gottlieb Jüngling founds the Yuengling brewery in Pottsville – today the oldest in the USA.
- 1855Milwaukee
Frederick Miller buys a brewery in Milwaukee. With Pabst and Schlitz, the city becomes the beer capital of the USA.
- 1876St. Louis
Adolphus Busch launches Budweiser – named after the Bohemian town of Budweis.
- 1896San Francisco
The Anchor Brewery gets its name. It preserves “steam beer”, fermented warm with lager yeast.
- 1920whole country
Prohibition begins. By 1933 hundreds of breweries have closed for good.
- 1933St. Louis
On 7 April light beer is legal again. Anheuser-Busch shows its Clydesdale team for the first time.
- 1935Richmond (Virginia)
The world’s first canned beer goes on sale in Richmond: Krueger’s Cream Ale.
- 1965San Francisco
Fritz Maytag saves the Anchor Brewery – a role model for the craft brewers who follow.
- 1976Sonoma
Jack McAuliffe founds New Albion, one of the first new small breweries in the USA.
- 1978whole country
President Jimmy Carter signs the law that legalises homebrewing.
- 1980Chico
Ken Grossman brews Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in Chico. Its Cascade hops shape a whole generation.
- 1982Boulder
The first Great American Beer Festival takes place in Boulder.
- 1984Boston
Jim Koch launches his Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
- 1984Portland (Oregon)
The first small breweries open in Portland; the city becomes “Beervana”.
- 1984Denver
The Great American Beer Festival moves to Denver – today one of the biggest beer festivals in the world.
- 1993New Glarus (Wisconsin)
Deb and Dan Carey found New Glarus. Its Spotted Cow is only sold in Wisconsin.
- 2013whole country
Alabama and Mississippi become the last states to allow homebrewing.