…more American than apple pie. In the last 250 years, beer has at one point or another been a local, individual craft and a homogenized product of capitalism. Beer has been considered both healthy nourishment and sinful poison. It’s been legal, illegal, an activist’s tool, and the beneficiary of million-dollar ad campaigns. Some have used beer to include, others to exclude. Beer is culture brewed.

I’m a historian who uses beer and brewing to explore the American experience—and to help us all appreciate what we drink a little better. On Brewed Culture, I share my journey through the world of beer history and invite you to come along. As an experienced scholar, communicator, educator, and consultant, I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate beer’s fascinating past into brewery spaces, museums, classrooms, and special events.

If you have a story to explore or a project to pursue, get in touch with me at bmalberts@gmail.com

I write and (sometimes) host podcast episodes! Most recently, I worked with journalist Tim McKirdy to write, research, and produce “Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future,” a three-part audio docuseries for VinePair’s Cocktail College podcast. This impactful series featured interviews with small-scale, traditional mezcal producers throughout Oaxaca, Mexico, explored the methods, history, and choices defining mezcal’s identity in a globalizing world. Find it wherever Cocktail College is available, or linked here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

(Art by Oscar Rodriguez Amado)

Previously, I wrote and hosted a series of podcast episodes called Source Material, hoisting a pint glass between past and present to see how beer refracts our perspective. These deep dives and interviews were published on Good Beer Hunting’s (now former) podcast. You can find episodes on Apple, Google, Spotify, and anywhere else the GBH podcast is (still) available…or just scroll down! Every episode I’ve produced is available on this page.

Featured episode

SM-010

The Rise and Fall of the 1970s’ Biggest Kegger

Link on Good Beer Hunting

Sometimes throwing a great party requires the right historical moment. This episode traces the story of the Aber Day Kegger, the United States’ largest kegger/concert during the 1970s. Created by students at the University of Montana in Missoula, the kegger’s quest to raise money for the university library made it both iconic nationwide and controversial in its local community. Its fate would be the product of a surging youth drinking culture, shifting minimum drinking age laws, predatory beer marketing practices, some old-fashioned greed, and–for a moment there–a national boycott movement. (Released October 7, 2023)

Past episodes

GBH Podcast EP-397

Theresa McCulla, formerly of the Smithsonian Institution

Link on Good Beer Hunting

In late 2023 Theresa McCulla, curator of modern beer history at the Smithsonian Institution, announced her departure for a new professional chapter. McCulla devoted some 7 years to documenting, preserving, and sharing critical moments in American beer history and her influence on the field of beer history will be felt for generations. It seemed only fair to sit down with her one last time for a symbolic exist interview…and heartfelt well-wishes. (Released January 24, 2024)

Continue reading “Podcast” →

I love using beer history to engage the present. Whether via individual public talks, collaborations, or writing, I’m always looking for new connections, new opportunities, and new audiences.

Read on to learn about some specific projects, but I’m always looking for new connections and opportunities, such as:

• Freelance research, writing, or podcasting
• Podcast and other media appearances
• Public talks, presentations, discussions
• Historically/community-minded beers or collaborations
• Consulting
• Museum exhibits
• Events and event series
• Short classes and other educational opportunities

Featured Article:

Beneath the Bines: The Multicultural Roots of the Pacific Northwest Hop Harvest

For VinePair, I looked at the seasonal labor that has historically kept the Pacific Northwest hop harvest afloat, from early Native American and Asian-American pickers, to a country “camping experience” catering to white middle class families, to modern Latino citizen and migrant communities. It’s a fascinating history defined by cultural exchange, marginalization, and interdependence, and one we need to learn from more than ever.

Continue reading “In the Wild” →

I’m a trained historian, communicator, educator, and consultant who uses beer’s past to connect to its present. Born and educated in the Midwest, my wife and I now live near Seattle, Washington. When I’m not investigating beer history and raising Joey and Zoe, our two children, I’m working with breweries, nonprofits, other experts, and publishers to share my insights as widely as possible.

History is meant to do more than fill up bookshelves, and the proverbial pint glass offers not only an engaging perspective of the past but also an accessible way to bring it to just about anyone. Breweries, museums, educators, and others can use beer’s distinct historic role to tell the stories that matter to them most—even stories that may not directly be about beer at all.

My ability to activate the past using beer has led to engaging articles, museum exhibits, historical collaborate beers, dozens of public events, and more. If you have a project you’d like to pursue, feel free to reach out to me at bmalberts@gmail.com.

Keep reading for more of my story.

Continue reading “About” →