On this Independence Day, we want to honor our country’s first President and Brewmaster.

Everyone knows George Washington as one of our nation’s founding fathers, General of the Continental Army, 1st President of the United States of America.  He was also a farmer, entrepreneur, land owner, surveyor, distiller and yes, brewmaster!

George Washington was a true lover of beer.  He especially enjoyed a good porter.  This dark, English-style beer would have normally been purchased from Great Britain, but as president, he felt it was not appropriate to buy from them.  Hence began the first “buy American” campaign.  But, the English beer was the inspiration behind his recipe for “Small Beer”.  The photograph is of his recipe hand-written by George himself.

Small beer was popular in Colonial America.  It contained very little alcohol, and was considerably less expensive than traditional beers.  Historian Victor S. Clark states “many housewives still brewed small beer for their families, and for fifty years thereafter numerous village breweries continued in operation with an equipment and a volume of business hardly exceeding those of a village bakery.”

At Olde Bedford Brewing Company, we recognize the importance General Washington made on our country, our town of Bedford, and our love of beer.  We will do our best to honor his legacy.  We will also work to formulate our own version of his porter and make it available to our patrons.