Ken Burns Prohibition

[hatfieldenator]

If you haven't yet, check out this new film! Very cool documentary that's really really interesting. Tons of awesome historic photos showing old breweries and salons and lots of talk about beer and society. You can watch episodes for free at pbs.org. Definitely worth checking out if you're like me and love learning about the history of beer and how people used to live centuries ago!

 

[davcar74]

Thanks for the reminder...I saw the ad, then promptly forgot about this

 

[eltorrente]

It's excellent so far.

 

[Phunhog]

It is a great documentary!! I thought it was very interesting how they were talking about how people would sell homebrew to their neighbors. I guess some things never change... Not that I would ever do that since it is ILLEGAL!!

 

[Revvy]

Yeah, we know,

Ken Burn's new series- Prohibition.

Prohibition is coming

 

[Bennypapa]

Did you see how dark the beers were from the early photos and films ca 1860~90?
DARK beers. Wonder what they tasted like?

 

[Rudeboy]

Minor points that only obsessives that hang around here would get.

In the first episode there is a movie shot of a street in an unnamed big city (presumably San Francisco) in the very early 20th century. The first saloon advertises “Anheuser-Busch Beer on tap 5 cents.” Then as the camera pans down the street the next saloon advertises “Steam Beer 5 cents.” Isn’t this the opposite of the conventional wisdom and what Maureen Ogle said in Ambitious Brew. That Anheuser-Busch has always been a premium priced beer and that Steam Beer was the cheapest beer you could buy. (I recognize they might have been referring to two different size glasses but still.)

When they were talking about pre-Civil war times they showed a photograph of a saloon that had a big sign out side that said “Lagers, Beer and Porter.” I just thought it funny that in the 1840’s or 50’s when we think Lager has just started up in the Germanic countries and Porter is just starting to become really dominate in London that they were not only available in America but are the main advertising point of a Saloon’s sign.

Last point most of the pictures from the 1800’s and really up until prohibition seem to show predominately dark beer. Could be the photography of the day but nary a pale ale or pale lager is seen.

 

[DieterVonBrauhaus]

I cried when they were busting the bottles up, my kid was like don't cry dad we can make some more this weekend!
So many politicians had their pockets lined with money from the bootleggers. It was very interesting and held many different points as to why it was needed and how it did not work.

 

[ghpeel]

New episode about to start right now! I missed the first 2 already.