Beer has been an important staple of humanity for millennia. But how was beer important to the American colonists starting a new life in a distant place? The colonies lacked the comforts and foods of their homeland. How did they adapt and through this adaptation, change the drink they loved so much? In this episode, we’ll talk to British food historian Marc Meltonville about myths, foods, and brewing/distilling in both England and the newly formed United States.

We’ll also speak with Genesee Country Village and Museum senior director Brian Nagel and Rohrbach Brewing Co president Joel Will about their collaboration to brew 18th and 19th-century beer recipes to keep these interesting beer styles alive today. This is the perfect episode of the podcast for this month as the United States celebrates its 250th birthday!

Listen to the whole conversation where you download podcasts including Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon, and Overcast.

This episode is sponsored by:


This episode is brought to you by Hopsteiner and Alora™ hops. If you’re looking for the next breakthrough aroma variety, Alora delivers. With 5 times more bound 3MH thiol precursors than Cascade hops, Alora gives brewers incredible potential for unlocking vibrant tropical and citrus character. Add in a unique oil profile featuring over 50% selinene—and you get expressive notes of peach, apricot, yuzu, and sweet melon. Discover otherworldly flavor with Alora™. Shop Alora and other products at shop.Hopsteiner.com.

Berkeley Yeast Ultra-Low

Escarpment Labs is the official yeast partner of Pink Boots brews. Their Pink Boots Yeast is a versatile German Kölsch strain that works across different beer styles. In light beers, it delivers bright, white wine–like aromatics. In hop-forward beers, it drives clean, citrus-forward biotransformation. Every purchase supports the Pink Boots Society, with fifteen percent of proceeds funding scholarships and professional development for women and non-binary people in brewing. To place an order, email sales@escarpmentlabs.com.


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At All About Beer, we’re honored to share the stories that define the beer community, and we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our underwriting sponsors. Their commitment helps sustain independent beer journalism, allowing us to highlight the people, places, and passion behind every pint. Their partnership ensures these stories continue to inspire, connect, and celebrate the craft we all love. Join our underwriters today and help make an impact on independent journalism covering the beer industry.

Em Sauter
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Em Sauter is an Advanced Cicerone®, cartoonist, author, beer reviewer, international beer judge and public speaker who runs the award winning website Pints and Panels, which focuses on visual beer education. Her first book "Beer is for Everyone! (of Drinking Age)" was published in 2017 by One Peace Books. Her second book "Hooray for Craft Beer!" was released in April 2022 with Brewers Publications. Em is also co-host of the All About Beer Podcast. She lives in New England with her husband Matt and two cats- Milbo and The Geen.

tse
Don Tse

Living near seven malthouses, Don Tse is a freelance beer and malt writer and consultant known globally as The Don of Beer. He has been active in craft beer for over 25 years and has famously sampled and written tasting notes on almost 27,000 different beers. He is the co-host of the All About Beer podcast. Don has also written for magazines and presented on beer in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ukraine and Singapore.  Nobody in those countries thinks his jokes are funny.