United States
American Prohibition
Thirteen years of national prohibition destroyed most of American brewing and its regional diversity; the survivors consolidated around light adjunct lager.
What was going on around it
An event on its own is a date. These are the periods it belongs to, where the argument about what changed is actually made.
Why it matters
The discontinuity that the later craft movement was reacting against, and the reason American brewing had to be rebuilt rather than continued.
How well this is established
| Certainty | Documented. Supported by contemporary records that survive and are agreed on. |
|---|---|
| When | 1920–1933. Recorded as a period rather than a date because it happened over time. |
| Where | United States |
Traditions
- American craft brewing — The post-1980 American movement built on intense hop character, reinterpretation of European styles, and rapid categorical change.
Evidence
What BeerHQ knows about this, and how. Every statement carries the state of the evidence behind it rather than being presented flatly as fact.
The Volstead Act defined intoxicating liquor at one half of one per cent alcohol by volume, and that figure has outlived the law as a common regulatory boundary for low- and no-alcohol beer in several jurisdictions.
Backed by a source Applies in United States. In force from 1920-01-17. Last checked 2026-08-16.
Source: TTB malt beverage labeling regulations
Either side of this
← 1914: British beer strength collapses through two wars · 1926: The Hüll programme breeds disease-resistant German hops →
See the whole sequence on the beer history timeline.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.