Beer: An American History

After Prohibition’s repeal in 1933, brewing beer became big business. In factory-like settings, brewers churned out light-bodied lagers that appealed to a broad range of consumers. Packaged in cans and bottles, American beer shot through a growing network of highways to reach a public who shopped in chain supermarkets and increasingly drank beer at home. But in the 1960s, spurred by the counterculture and do-it-yourself movements, some beer drinkers began to explore alternatives.