How Did Beer Become Popular in America?
Posted By admin on July 18, 2011
The popularity of beer in America is a combination of availability, affordability, and advertising. Dutch and English settlers brought the first European-style ales to the continent. Lager beers, introduced later by German immigrants, soon supplanted ales in popularity, largely due to their longer shelf life.
The introduction of Prohibition in 1919 brought a halt to beer production in the United States and as a result many small regional brewers were forced out of business. Larger brewers who could convert their breweries to the production of soft drinks or malt syrups were able to survive. The Volstead Act of 1933 enabled brewers to sell beer that was 3.2 percent alcohol by volume. 1.5 million gallons of 3.2 beer were sold in the first 24 hours alone.
World War II and its accompanying grain shortages almost crippled the beer industry yet again, until the government decided that the health benefits of beer were important for servicemen. Breweries introduced advertising campaigns touting the benefits of beer as a small indulgence that makes life worth living, a tradition that continues to this day.
Light beers were first introduced in the 1970′s and quickly became popular. Light beers are currently the best-selling beers in America.
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