“The War against Pilsner Beer” began in August of 1897 following a series of ostensibly nationalist riots in Pilsen. With these riots, beer from the town’s leading German-identified brewery literally spilled into the streets, pushing beer brewed in Pilsen into a decades-long war of words that spread beyond Pilsen and beyond the borders of the Habsburg Empire (1890-1914). Czech-identified and German-identified nationalist activists attempted to harness both the economic and sentimental value of Pilsner beer by tying it to national identity. In nationalist newspapers, the saga of Pilsner beer took on qualities of a soap opera with international intrigue.

But, was it really possible to turn beer into a divisive product? How did the average beer drinker react to being told which beers they could and could not drink? And finally, did the plotting of German-identified Pilsen brewers really lead to pilsner beer being used to help finance Germany’s naval expansion right before WWI?

Historian Alison Orton answers these questions as she delves into this curious tale of beer and national identity. Grab a krýgl/Krügel of your favorite pils and join us for this virtual happy hour that takes place at 2pm CST via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Alison Orton is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Illinois, Chicago and is one of the talented academics on the Brewseum’s League of Historians. Ali joins us live from Central Europe to offer this virtual beer history happy hour.