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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 07, 2028

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Nature’s Brew: An Environmental History of the Modern American Brewing Industry

Patton, Cody Robert
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1685542231006724

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
Humans have been brewing beer for at least 10,000 years. For most of this time, brewing was a rudimentary affair. Ancient, medieval, and early modern brewing was carried out using local grains, herbs, fruits, and open-air fermentation. This has radically changed in the last two hundred years. Modern brewing now relies on intensive capital inputs, standardized products and brands, marketing, global distribution networks, disposable packaging, and scientific expertise. Even today’s craft brewers—who often pride themselves on their experimental brews and local or regional connections—are a product of this transformation. This dissertation asks how this radically different brewing industry came to be in the United States. I argue that the modern American brewing industry took shape because of the unique biological and material properties of beer’s organic and chemical components (yeast, hops, barley, and alcohol) and that brewers’ desire to control even the most minute aspects of their craft resulted in intense capitalization and standardization of their industry.
Bartow Elmore (Advisor)
Jennifer Eaglin (Committee Member)
Christopher Otter (Committee Member)
243 p.
American History; Economic History
beer; brewing; environmental history; American history; capitalism; food history; industrialization; craft beer; hops; barley; malt; yeast; beverage cans; single use; alcohol; prohibition; temperance; pesticides; recycling;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Patton, C. R. (2023). Nature’s Brew: An Environmental History of the Modern American Brewing Industry [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1685542231006724

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Patton, Cody. Nature’s Brew: An Environmental History of the Modern American Brewing Industry. 2023. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1685542231006724.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Patton, Cody. "Nature’s Brew: An Environmental History of the Modern American Brewing Industry." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1685542231006724

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1685542231006724
© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.