Beer, its history and its economic value as a national beverage

by F. W. (Frederick William) Salem

"Beer, its history and its economic value as a national beverage" by F. W. Salem is a historical and economic treatise written in the late 19th century. It argues that pure, well-made beer is a temperate, healthful alternative to distilled spirits and should be supported by sensible regulation. The work combines history, brewing science, public policy, and social economics to advocate adopting beer as a national drink. The opening of the book presents a clear thesis—“Beer against whisky”—claiming prohibitory laws fail while accessible, pure beer advances true temperance. It then surveys beer’s long lineage from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome through medieval Europe: monastic brewing, early regulations, and famed beer centers and figures (such as the brewer-statesman Jacob van Artevelde, the folkloric Gambrinus, William Penn, and General Israel Putnam). A vivid picture follows of Renaissance drinking customs, notable beers (Eimbeck, Braunschweig Mumme), the Munich court brewery and bock, and the rise, dip, and revival of beer culture. The narrative shifts to modern policy, highlighting countries that promoted beer to curb spirits—Germany, Austro-Hungary, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Russia, France, England (the Beer Bill), and even Egypt, Japan, and Persia—arguing social order and public health improved as beer spread. It explains how beer is made, outlines its composition and nutritive value, and counters claims of adulteration with scientific reasoning and trade realities, including a brief Newark controversy and a correction of misattributed statements to Liebig. The section ends by noting that hops transformed the art of brewing and broadened beer styles.