Great American Beer: 50 Brands That Shaped the 20th Century [Hardcover]

Christopher B. O'Hara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2006

Classic Beers of the Good Old Days

There was a time when one income could support a family, when American-made automobiles were the best on the market, when you could eat a steak without thinking of cholesterol, and when Milwaukee was the beer capital of the world. Back then, you drank beer—not lager, stout, or IPA—just plain old great American beer.

The ultimate guide to the classic brews and legendary brands of the past two centuries, Great American Beer is packed with full-color photos of beer memorabilia from the heyday of this country’s beer revolution and brief histories of fifty brands that left their mark on generations of beer drinkers. Infused with fact, lore, and an ample dose of tongue-in-cheek humor, Great American Beer lures you into the America where these legendary beers were born and rose to prominence as regional favorites. If you’re a beer drinker who knows that Schlitz offers “just the kiss of the hops” or who can recite the Budweiser Manifesto by heart, this book’s for you.


Test your knowledge of great American beers.

1. Which great American beer is considered “The Champagne of Beers”?

2. Which classic American brew is the “One beer to have when you’re having more than one”?

3. What was the favorite beer of Dennis Hopper’s homicidal Frank Booth character in the cult classic Blue Velvet?

The answers to these and other pressing questions about our country’s most timeless brands can only be found in . . . Great American Beer

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Low-brow food expert Christoper O'Hara (Wing It!, The Bloody Mary) turns his attention to classic American beers in this entertaining look at timeless brands. Opening with an overview of beer's place in American society, O'Hara succinctly chronicles the evolution of the industry from the first settlers to bring Bavarian yeast across the Atlantic in the mid-1800s, to the megabrands that dominate store shelves today. But it's his collection of fifty classic American beers that will keep readers misty-eyed, reminiscing about stalwarts like Olde Frothingslosh and Schaefer, or long-lost friends like Buckeye and Lowenbrau. This book doesn't cover esoteric artisan beers-these are the beers you swiped from your father's fridge and bought by the case in college, "the beers to have when you're having more than one." Each beer gets its own biography, complete with history, location and advertising jingles. Illustrated with product photos and original advertising, and packed with trivia (the first beer with a "born on" date? Lucky Lager, 60 years before Budweiser), O'Hara's book is a great read for aficionados whose tastes run more toward the Rockies than the Rhine.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Chris O'Hara is the author of The Bloody Mary, Ribs, The Ultimate Chili Book, Hot Toddies, and Wing It! He lives in Lloyd Harbor, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (August 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307238539
• ISBN-13: 978-0307238535
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher B. O'Hara is the author of 6 books, including The Bloody Mary, Ribs: A Connoisseur's Guide to Barbecuing and Grilling, The Ultimate Chili Book, Hot Toddies, Wing It! and Great American Beer. Chris and his books have been featured on the Food Network's "Cooking Today," NBC's "Today Show," CBS's "Early Show" and periodicals including The New York Post, Boston Herald, the Miami Herald, Glamour, Esquire, and Playboy magazine. He lives in Lloyd Harbor, New York with his wife and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Artwork and Writing!!, September 28, 2006

By 

Lia DiCaro (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great American Beer: 50 Brands That Shaped the 20th Century (Hardcover)

I bought this book as a birthday present for my dad and he hasn't stopped telling people about it! I actually had a chance to read it before giving it to him and I was blown away by how thorough the history section is in the beginning. The writing is accessible and not at all boring, and you walk away with some amazing knowledge of American history seen through an entirely new lense. The individual beer profiles are fantastic too. I first picked this book up for its great looks (hardcover plus color artwork throughout makes for such a great, affordable gift for any guy!), but I was really impressed by the intelligent, down-to-earth writing. If you're looking for an inexpensive gift that's a little off the beaten path but really useful and interesting, you can't go wrong with Great American Beer. I was so impressed with this book!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the microbrew fancier, December 28, 2007

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great American Beer: 50 Brands That Shaped the 20th Century (Hardcover)

William Bradford described landing at Plymouth Rock: "We could not now take time for further search...our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..." It was probably the last time folks ran out of beer in America, but the truth is that until the great waves of immigration from the German states in the 1840's, other alcoholic potables like cider were much more important. This new wave of immigrants made beer, drank it, and the industry grew and grew to annual consumption of about 180 million barrels today.

Christoper O'Hara describes 50 classic American beers that he claims "shaped the 20th century" in this entertaining and fact filled little book. He describes beer's place in American society and its evolution from the first settlers to bring Bavarian yeast across the Atlantic in the mid-1800s, to the major brands that dominate store shelves today.

His collection of fifty classic American beers are the essence of the book: Olde Frothingslosh and Schaefer, Buckeye and Lowenbrau, Lucky Lager, even the short-lived Billy Beer. This book doesn't cover artisan or hand crafted beers; O'Hara focuses on beers with marketing and sales oomph -- "the beers to have when you're having more than one." Each beer gets its own biography, complete with history, location and advertising jingles. There are excellent product photos and original advertising, and the book is packed with beer trivia.

Slogans abound:

"Just the kiss of the hops."

"Whale of an Ale for the Pale Stale Male."

"From the land of sky blue waters."

"The one beer to have when you're having more than one."

O'Hara has become something of an expert on beer since this book was released; recently Fodors printed his reviews of five great places to drink beer. I particularly like the one on Axel's Inn in Milwaukee, a personal stomping ground in my college days long ago: "Since their unofficial slogan is "come for the beer, stay for the cheaper beer," you probably know what to expect from this classic Milwaukee dive bar. Every unimaginably cheap American beer is featured, so take your choice from Busch to a trendy can of $1.50 PBR. If you have enough change leftover, take a stroll through a reasonably decent and eclectic jukebox -- and let the good, cheap times roll."

I loved the sly humor in this book, the walk down nostalgia lane, and the illustrations.

Robert C. Ross 2007 2008

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Interesting facts, May 13, 2007

By 

C. Grice "Shelly" (Germany) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great American Beer: 50 Brands That Shaped the 20th Century (Hardcover)

Gave a little idea of the original beer brewers and what happened to the other ones. What helped shaped the big guys out there like Bud and Miller