Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota

by Doug Hoverson

“A heartfelt paean to the pioneering breweries of the Midwest, packed with details and excellent photos. Land of Amber Waters is sure to delight anyone interested in the storied history of American brewing.” —Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, and author of The Brewmaster's Table “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” —Dave Barry For centuries, brewmasters both professional and homegrown have pursued the perfect pour—a delectable combination of barley, yeast, water, and hops—and few states can claim as devoted a relationship to beer as Minnesota. For a time it seemed that every town had its brewery and a beer garden was a highlight of every local celebration. Dedicated home brewers and casual pub crawlers alike will be amazed by the stories of Minnesota beers and breweries featured in Land of Amber Waters. Starting with the first brewery in 1849, Doug Hoverson tells the story of the state’s beer industry from the small-town breweries that gave way to larger companies with regional and national prominence, including Hamm’s, Grain Belt, and Schell’s, to the vibrant beer culture of today, led by a new wave of breweries such as Summit, Lake Superior Brewing Co., and Surly, and brewpubs like Town Hall Brewery, Fitger’s, and Granite City Brewpub, and sustained by microbreweries, home brewers, and beer aficionados. From the first illegal brewer at Fort Snelling to the craft brewers and major companies of today, nearly 300 breweries have opened and operated at one time or another in 125 cities and towns around the state. Complete with a comprehensive list of Minnesota’s breweries—including many never before published—and more than 300 tempting illustrations of beer and breweriana, Land of Amber Waters marvelously chronicles Minnesota’s rich brewing traditions. Doug Hoverson teaches social studies and coaches the debate team at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. He is the assistant editor of American Breweriana Journal, an award-winning homebrewer, and a certified beer judge.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, American History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

Teacher, coach, brewery historian, lover of words but reluctant tweeter.

He has written about beer and brewing history for publications ranging from American Breweriana Journal to The Growler to The Onion. He has been a consultant on documentaries about beer or related businesses and is a popular speaker on the history of beer.

Reviews

[Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written just at the dawn of the burgeoning crop of independent craft and microbreweries across Minnesota (and the nation), Land of Amber Waters is an exhaustive and informative treatise of the history of commercial beer brewing in the state. Author Doug Hoverson has compiled what must be the deepest resource available on the topic, a veritable flowing tap of beer knowledge. While not as well known or populous as the beer brewing tradition of our neighbor, Wisconsin (though, who could be?), Hoverson illustrates that Minnesota had an important footprint on the history of beer culture in the US. We can, for instance, boast the inventors of the first malt beverage and one of the most beloved mid-20th century corporate mascots, the Hamm's bear.

After a short description of the brewing process, Hoverson documents Minnesota beer from the very earliest German immigrants to brew some beer to sell to their compatriots, to the rise of local brands and the trial of WWI and Prohibition, through the proliferation of bland beers and the collapse of smaller breweries, to the explosion of craft breweries. In addition, he includes an exhaustive history of all known breweries throughout the history of the state, arranged by city (including the mysterious "lost" breweries mentioned only in periodicals). While focusing exclusively on beer, it would be interesting to read this along with Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. As I was reading, I had the opportunity to sample some Hamm's beer at a local St. Paul bar, and know I'm craving some Grain Belt Nordeast in addition of any number of our more unique local libations!

[Cfsimmons]

looking forward to checking this one out.

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[Bigmohunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Lots of great info.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a little bit biased. Also beer history in Minnesota reads like a Masterpiece show- all the drama. A+ work, Dad

[Jesse Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Christmas book!

[Heidi]

gift idea

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. It makes me want a beer. A Minnesota beer.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoverson did a *great* job with this book. It's a must-read for any history-loving MN beer fan.