Beer in Colonial Times

Originally published in the May/June 2005 issue of Zymurgy magazine. The idea that "home brew'd is best" is probably intuitively obvious to most homebrewers and beer lovers. It was not so apparent to the newly independent citizenry of the United States of America who were trying to develop the new nation's industry as well as slake its thirst for good ales. The motto "home brew'd is best" was carried on a standard, decorated with the brewers' arms, by brewer Luke Morris in the July 4, 1788 parade in Philadelphia celebrating Pennsylvania's ratification of the Constitution. Beer brewing in America was a necessity for the newly transplanted Old World folks. Beer was a staple beverage. The oft-repeated adage that "the water can kill you, but the beer won't" bears repeating. Before people understood the pathology of water-borne microfauna,…

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