Michael Jackson: Father of the Craft Brewing Renaissance in America
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Michael Jackson: Father of the craft brewing renaissance in America Carolyn Smagalski Michael Jackson, international authority emerged as a prominent authority in the on beer and whiskey, might well be called beer world. One must also understand the Father of the Craft Brewing the ways in which ‘American craft brew- Renaissance in America, the key figure, ing’ differs from mass market beer, the the catalyst who revitalized American extent to which this artisanal American beer and bequeathed his knowledge for métier has developed, and how Jackson the benefit of future generations. impacted American attitudes about beer. Through his writings, appearances, and media presence, both in the United In comparing the history of beer in States and on the international stage, America with that of Europe and the Jackson empowered American brewers Fertile Crescent, one discovers that with the language of beer and educated American beer has barely entered consumers to make informed choices puberty, having archival records that regarding distinctive beers, many of which cover little more than 500 years. Within had been on the verge of extinction. Had that short lifespan, beer in American he been from a life of privilege, Lambic society has lived a tumultuous existence. may have disappeared from the Zenne It gave sustenance to early adventurers Valley, Gose from the houses of Leipzig, and energy to a Revolution. Beer in- and Steam Beer from the San Francisco flamed temperance leagues and triggered Bay. The hand of fate took the life of his civil disobedience in swanky Cotton twin in 1946. He became a ‘treasure’ by Club-style speakeasies. In wartime, default1 and, as such, a self-fulfilling rationing of raw materials curtailed its prophecy left its own mark, propelling him production. A paradigm shift in modern toward larger-than-life ambitions. thought created a simplified version of American pilsner. It scarcely resembled If one is to examine Jackson's influence beer, but huge advertising budgets raised on craft brewing in the United States, one these corporate brands to global promi- must understand the history behind nence. American brewing and the international attitudes toward US beer at the time A handful of believers - including Fritz when Jackson, a British journalist, Maytag of Anchor Brewing in San Brewery History Number 139 37 Francisco, Jack McAuliffe of New Albion Raleigh's colony in Virginia. Their Brewing in Sonoma, California, and account explained, Charlie Papazian, a homebrewing enthu- siast at the Free School in Denver, We made of the same in the country some Colorado - were part of a grass-roots mault, whereof was brewed as good ale movement that sustained traditions wor- as was to be desired. So likewise by the thy of preservation. That grass-roots help of hops thereof may be made as good movement only existed in small pockets beer.3 throughout the country, fragmented by distance and diversity of thought. Early writings, attributed to William Michael Jackson was the synergist who Bradford and Edward Winslow in 1620- connected them and brought them to 21, indicate that beer was a food staple international recognition. on the Mayflower voyage. The colonizers voiced great concern as they observed supplies running low: Forces that shaped the American beer landscape Againe, we had yet some Beere, Butter, Flesh, and other such victuals left, which Beer origins from the ancient city of Ur would quickly be all gone, and then we to the temples of Egypt and throughout should have nothing to comfort us in the the kingdoms of Europe have left a foot- great labour and toyle we were like to print stretching back ten thousand under-goe …4 years; but in America, beer has a much younger history. Norsemen were Fear of aggression by ‘Indians’ forced the undoubtedly the first outsiders to land in seafaring consort to continue along the the New World circa 1000 AD. Runic coast for another fortnight, seeking a Records, however, leave no hard evi- more hospitable landing place for per- dence of beer chronicles in the lands manent settlement. In Provincetown they touched. By 1492, word-of-mouth Harbor, the urgent situation of a depleting accounts by Christopher Columbus beer supply prompted their decision to indicate Indians, despite being unex- land. Winslow writes, posed to European traditions, were, in fact, brewing with indigenous materials … in the morning, after we had called on and fermenting their brew in jugs fash- God for direction, we came to this resolution, ioned of clay.2 to goe presently ashore againe, and to take a better view of two places, which wee The first archives of brewing in America thought most fitting for us, for we could not were formally recorded in 1587, by now take time for further search or English explorer Richard Hakluyt and his consideration, our victuals being much colleague Thomas Heriot of Sir Walter spent, especially, our Beere …5 38 Journal of the Brewery History Society The merchandizing of English ale and propensity for porter brewed by Robert porter, brewed in the American colonies, Hare of the burgeoning Philadelphia beer began with Block & Christiansen's community. Clement Biddle, a well-known Brewhouse in New Amsterdam, creating beverage agent, filled Washington's regu- a measure of independence from Britain; larly scheduled orders for ‘a gross of Mr. then, expanded to Market Field on Hare's best bottled porter.’8 By the early Manhattan Island, Frampton's Brewery 1800s, Philadelphia's famed Brewerytown on the Dock Street Creek in Philadelphia, encompassed a nine-block area so thick and by 1738, into the deep South with with breweries that one newspaper Horton's Brewery on Jekyll Island in account claimed, ‘The air here is like Georgia.6 vaporized bread.’9 In his first book, The English Pub: A During the 19th century, production of Unique Social Phenomenon, published in beer in the United States topped nine mil- 1976, Michael Jackson writes, lion barrels per year.10 Brew-wars surged in corporate America. Traditional German the Britons were 'accustomed to gathering in brewers, including Adolphus Busch, their ale-houses to govern and adjudicate' as Henry Uihlein, and Frederick Pabst, had long ago as the first century A.D., according become so successful that their palatial to a Greek commentator of the period, mansions drew both awe and criticism in Dioscorides.7 the press. By 1873, a record 4,131 brew- eries operated from coast to coast.11 It was, therefore, in the spirit of tradition Philadelphia, alone, registered 94 of that City Tavern in Philadelphia should these establishments in 1879, more become the center of the First breweries than any other city in the Continental Congress, where delegates United States. Beer was regarded as the John Adams, Peyton Randolph, John beverage of temperance. In 1880, the Hancock and 53 others would organize slogan, ‘Beer against whiskey,’ condoned plans for secession from England. beer within groups that otherwise con- demned the social damage of disrep- George Washington, commander of the utable saloons. Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, commended legislation that included That record number of breweries would daily rations of beer for the militia. soon be ravaged by improved methods of Joseph Trumbull, Commissary General production, taxation, syndication and the of Stores Provisions, oversaw the allot- collapse of the American Stock Market in ment of one quart of spruce beer per day 1893. Prohibitionists, pushing for total for each member of the Continental Army. abstinence, refused to retreat. America's Washington, who later served as first fertile brewing atmosphere lost ground President of the United States, had a with the founding of Howard Hyde Brewery History Number 139 39 Russell's Ohio Anti-Saloon League, and reinterpreted the Volstead Act's definition by 1910, the number of breweries had of ‘intoxicating liquor’ with the Cullen- declined to 1,568. With the outbreak of Harrison Act, signed into law by Franklin World War I, anti-German sentiment Roosevelt on the seventh of April, which further abraded the market. legalized the sale of light wines and beer with 3.2% alcohol by weight (4.0% Prohibition went into effect on 16 January by volume). By 1933, Prohibition had lost 1920 with the Volstead Act. To survive, support across all Federal lines. some breweries diversified to the pro- duction of ginger ale, root beer, baking Many breweries could not overcome the yeast, malt syrup, and near beer. severe bruise left by Prohibition. Although the output of near beer hit 300 Coupled with the Stock Market crash in million gallons in the first two years after 1929, the United States had plunged Prohibition's inception, it was so poorly head first into the Great Depression, made that, by some accounts, it hardly which lasted until America entered World resembled beer. By 1932, sales dimin- War II in 1941. In 1934, only 756 brew- ished to 86 million gallons.12 eries were in production. Rationing of raw materials, including grain and sugar, was But a significant segment of American in effect during the war and continued society, particularly those in the cities, post-war to support food-shortages in rejected a life of teetotalism. Speakeasies war-torn Europe. and bootleggers were big business for organized-crime syndicates which brought Brewers experimented with corn and more than a million gallons of alcohol into rice, potatoes, rye and oats. A lean mar- the country by the late 1920s. Cold- ketplace proved far too challenging to blooded escapades orchestrated by Al sustain most small brewing operations. Capone, Bugsy Siegel, ‘Sammy the Bull’ The largest brewers took the helm and, Gravano and other mob bosses dominat- as time passed, corporate buy-outs, con- ed headlines in every major newspaper.