A Toast to Beer’s Historic Role in America

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any [challenge]. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”

-Abraham Lincoln

We took a trip to Washington, D.C. recently to visit our daughter (DoKBM) and, per Abe, gathered some real facts on the historical role of beer in America’s founding and our nation’s capital.

Beer’s Historical Role: Beer was a common drink in the Colonial era, and the Founding Fathers often drank it in taverns where the convivial atmosphere likely influenced drafting the Declaration of Independence. George Washington loved beer so much that he had a personal recipe which included a large amount of molasses. [KBM has brewed this recipe and it is an excellent Porter, a prevalent style at the time]. Thomas Jefferson is said to have written the first draft over a beer at the Indian Queen tavern in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin was known to enjoy beer and is sometimes credited with the saying, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

History of Beer in D.C.: Beer has been a rich part of Washington, D.C.’s history and culture and was illuminated in the terrific book, “Capital Beer,” by Garrett Peck, which my daughter bought for me on the trip.

The book highlighted Christian Heurich who, in the 1880s, was “The King of Beer in the District.” His residence was known as “Brewmaster’s Castle.” Heurich established what became (for 90 years) the largest D.C. brewery, producing Lager and Marzen beers (which we learned about in last month’s column). We visited the castle, which is a museum, and enjoyed tasting the original and refreshing Senate Beer light lager amongst other delish D.C. selections.

From the book: “In the 1850s, German immigrants like Heurich opened dozens of DC breweries and brought their love of the German Lager styles of beer [KBM: lagers are cold fermented leading to a smooth profile]. Lagers weren’t as well known in the states and consumers found them way more accessible than English ales like Porters and an enjoyable antidote to the muggy (swampy?) summers. It was also another way to further disassociate from England post Independence.”

Also, given the advent of railroads, farms that sowed America’s bountiful amber waves of grain were now the preferred source for a brewery’s basic beer ingredients instead of foreign imports.

Thanks (or Danke) again goes to the Germans who also brought over the concept of a Sunday Beer Garden, where entire families could congregate and enjoy the day compared to the standard saloons, which were typically a male environment. In fact, it was noted in the DC Post: “The presence of women inspires a sense of refinement (and leads to establishments being) patronized by the respectable class of society.” I’d suggest this is still a fact. Additionally, beer garden proprietors banned political discussions in these environments… Not such a bad idea.

The closure of Heurich Brewery in 1956 kicked off a 55-year dry spell for D.C.-made drafts—pun intended! However, these days, the D.C. craft beer scene is alive and well with 30-plus in and around the area. Here are some that I recommend: DC Brau, Right Proper, Capitol City and Aslin.

Field Trip - Obercreek Brewing Co, Wappinger’s Falls NY

Many people have alerted me to Obercreek’s lineup of beers, so it was time for a visit.

Our crew on the beautiful afternoon we visited was eclectic, beer-curious and up for adventure.

Establishment: Obercreek Brewery was founded seven years ago by a trio of school teachers. We met up with Phil Shaw, who was very accommodating and generous with a great tour of this small brewing operation and details of the process. My takeaway was that science (centrifuges!) and precise measurements play a huge role in each step of the process, which leads to repeatability and consistent quality in their awesome brews.

The brewery is literally on the working and very ecologically focused 250-acre Obercreek Farm (Organic Produce, Herbs, and Hops) started in the 1850s and which maintains a commitment to sustainable agriculture. Phil showed us plans for a major brewery expansion to the other side of the farm.

Vibe: Rustic but quaint setting with a tasting room staffed by friendly and knowledgeable staff. A large tented outdoor area with plenty of picnic table seating and nice light tunes in the background (excellent singer/guitarist came by later in the day).

Beer: Obercreek beer is amazing. Many people seem to know this and, as Phil also teaches economics, we agreed that the scarcity principle is in full effect for them. They literally lock their doors on beer release days to manage the line of eager early adopters as they sell out quickly.

Here’s what we enjoyed: Voices and Echoes #17 Pale Ale 5.0% - Excellent!; Double Obsession DIPA 8.6% - excellent not boozy; Smiling from a Canyon DIPA 8.2% - accessible funk; French Press Coffee Stout 8% - amazing and coffee forward; Said Than Done 5% Kolsch - delectable, perfectly balanced; and Stablemate 5.8% tarti-ness blueberry glory.

They also have a selection of wine and cider and a rotating lineup of food trucks.

It is a dog friendly environment and our irresistibly cute Frenchie (FoKBM), Jameson, was in attendance and guarantees, especially now in the fall, visiting Obercreek will be a rewarding experience. Let me know what you think.

Cheers & please strive to be highly informed for all that you quaff and for whomever you vote for this season.

The Katonah Beer Man can be reached at TheKatonahBeerMan@gmail.com or visit thekatonahbeerman.wordpress.com. Please check out our friends at Vista Beverage, vistabeerandbeverage.com; 204 Oakridge Commons, South Salem; 914-533-7512.