Fairhaven Lecture Series: A Common and Public Nuisance: WI Breweries Fight Prohibition

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A Common and Public Nuisance: Wisconsin Breweries Fight Prohibition, 1918-1922

For most Americans, the onset of Prohibition was an inconvenience; for regional Wisconsin brewers, it was an existential threat.  Some converted to soft drinks, ice cream, or other products, but most were simply forced out of business.  A handful of breweries continued brewing illegally for months and even years, and they did so with the help and complicity of their local communities.  This is their story.

Presented by Karl Brown, Associate Professor, History