Prepare to embark on an intoxicating journey through the frothy annals of beer's history, where each sip reveals a compelling tale of innovation, indulgence, and resistance. In 'Beer's Industrial Era: Progress and Prohibition, ' we uncork the rich history of humanity's favorite libation, tracing its origins from the dusty streets of ancient Mesopotamia and the fertile banks of the Nile to the thriving craft beer revolution of today. Within these pages, you'll be transported back to the Industrial Revolution, a time when beer underwent a remarkable transformation. Witness the clinking of mechanized brewery equipment and the hiss of steam as you explore the monumental shifts that forever altered the brewing landscape. Discover how the rise of mega-breweries forever changed the beer industry, as beer quality and consistency became paramount. But as you revel in the heady aroma of progress, you'll also confront the chilling specter of Prohibition. Walk the clandestine corridors of speakeasies and feel the pulse of an era that banned the beloved brew. Dive into the history of the 18th Amendment and experience the resilience of brewers and drinkers during these dry, tumultuous years. As the smoke of Prohibition clears, witness the phoenix-like rise of craft beer, where passionate artisans reclaim the soul of brewing. Explore how small breweries rekindled the spirit of community, diversity, and quality, giving birth to a movement that continues to redefine the beer landscape. Whether you're a connoisseur or a casual sipper, 'Beer's Industrial Era' offers a refreshing, comprehensive account of beer's journey, brimming with captivating anecdotes and historical insights. Join us on this frothy adventure and discover how beer has evolved, thrived, and fermented its way through the annals of time.

This book investigates the birth and evolution of craft breweries around the world. Microbrewery, brewpub, artisanal brewery, henceforth craft brewery, are terms referred to a new kind of production in the brewing industry contraposed to the mass production of beer, which has started and diffused in almost all industrialized countries in the last decades. This project provides an explanation of the entrepreneurial dynamics behind these new firms from an economic perspective. The product standardization of large producers, the emergence of a new more sophisticated demand and set of consumers, the effect of contagion, and technology aspects are analyzed as the main determinants behind this ‘revolution’. The worldwide perspective makes the project distinctive, presenting cases from many relevant countries, including the USA, Australia, Japan, China, UK, Belgium, Italy and many other EU countries.

Beer is widely defined as the result of the brewing process which has been refined and improved over centuries. Beer is the drink of the masses – it is bought by consumers whose income, wealth, education, and ethnic background vary substantially, something which can be seen by taking a look at the range of customers in any pub, inn, or bar. But why has beer became so pervasive? What are the historical factors which make beer and the brewing industry so prominent? How has the brewing industry developed to become one of the most powerful global generators of output and revenue? This book answers these and other related questions by exploring the history of the beer and brewing industry at a global level. Contributors investigate a number of aspects, such as the role of geographical origin in branding; mergers, acquisitions, and corporate governance (UK, European and US perspectives); national and international political economy; taxation and regulation (including historical and contemporary practice); national and international trade flows and distribution networks; and historical trends in the commercialisation of beer. The chapters in this book were originally published as online articles in Business History.

For the past two centuries, brewing has been a constantly innovative and evolving industry, subject to changes in technology, taste and industrial structure. This ground-breaking book is one of the first to examine the industry from the perspectives of economic and business history. It combines chapters on the major European nations with chapters on the United States and Australia.