Explore the surprising beer riots that erupted in Britain in the spring of 1919, just after the end of World War I.
The article ‘WASHY BEER AND EMPTY CELLARS’: THE BEER RIOTS OF 1919 by Simon Fowler we discuss his argument that historians have overlooked these events, which highlight the government’s attempts to balance the needs of the working class with concerns about temperance.
We explore the factors behind the shortages and the government’s attempts to appease the public with a gradual increase in beer production and a reduction in the wartime restrictions on alcohol consumption.
We talk about the impact of the protests, the government’s response, and the ultimate failure of the temperance movement to maintain wartime restrictions.
The protests were a temporary phenomenon, driven by the specific circumstances of the immediate postwar period, and ultimately had little lasting impact on the broader trends in British beer consumption.
But they remain a fascinating incident in the history of beer.
Read the article we discuss in this episode:
🍺 Subscribe to keep informed with videos, chats, and specials
🍺 Join our FB Group:
#letstalkbeer #beerpodcast #beerculture #craftbeer
