Iowa History 101: Iowa Brewing: A Complicated History

Since the first commercial brewery opened in 1844, Iowa has provided a challenging environment for its brewers of ale and lager. The state was surrounded on three sides by major brewing states, and Iowa went in and out of prohibition three times even before national prohibition. After Prohibition, the breweries that returned to production struggled against national brands. Iowa’s craft brewing scene was relatively slow to develop, but in recent years it has produced beer as creative and flavorful as any in the nation. Join brewing historian Doug Hoverson for a survey of Iowa’s brewing history and an introduction to the world of Iowa breweriana. 

Doug Hoverson is the author of The Land of Amber Water: The History of Brewing in Minnesota and The Drink that Made Wisconsin Famous: Beer & Brewing in the Badger State. He has begun researching similar books on the breweries of Michigan and Iowa. He has written articles about beer and beer culture for publications ranging from All About Beer to The Onion. By day, he is a history and social sciences teacher at Saint Thomas Academy in Minnesota.

The Iowa History 101 webinars share Iowa stories and the history of the state through a cultural history lens on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Registration is required for each event and to receive a link to the recorded program.