In the foreword to Brian Sorensen's entertaining, educating and, yes, intoxicating history of beer in Arkansas, aptly titled Arkansas Beer, state-based homebrewing guru James Spencer writes that today "the foothold for craft beer is secure" here.
That foothold was on shaky ground for years, though, as Sorensen, a beer scribe who also is a human resources director for Tyson Foods, details in the first third of his 157-page Arkansas Beer (American Palate, $21.99), which was released Sept. 11.
The state beat the national Prohibition banning the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages by five years, passing the Newberry Act in 1915, Sorensen writes in the introduction. The beverage didn't make a return -- for good, after some failed starts -- until 1993 at the still-open Vino's Brewpub and pizzeria in downtown Little Rock. Diamond Bear Brewing Co., started in Little Rock but now in North Little Rock, opened in 2000 as the first post-Prohibition production-only brewery to stick around to today.
This history, of course, is old news to local beer fans, so where Sorensen's book succeeds is by uncovering the story of Arkansas brewing pioneers -- German immigrants mostly -- such as the George Brothers in Little Rock and Joseph Knoble in Fort Smith, during the mid-1800s. Sorensen also digs into the story of Little Rock Brewing & Ice Co., which operated from 1895 to 1915.
The Newberry Act wiped out what little brewing there was in Arkansas, so Sorensen's book then jumps ahead to the 1980s, skipping the immediate post- Prohibition years. It would
have been nice to have had some account of this period in Arkansas beer. The story of Arkansas beer in the late 20th century is clearer and fuller as Sorensen recounts some of the failed breweries of this era -- Arkansas Brewing Co., Weidman's Old Fort Brew Pub, River Rock Brewery -- and why they failed (Arkansas Brewing Co. ran afoul of the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control board over unapproved labels and packaging standards).
He also delves into the survivors -- the aforementioned Vino's and Diamond Bear -- and goes into the legislative changes and homebrewing movement in Arkansas that expanded the state's craft beer business.
Roughly the last half of Arkansas Beer consists of histories of Arkansas breweries, from Hog Haus in Fayetteville to Prestonrose Farm and Brewing Co. in Paris, with Sorensen writing of some of the breweries to come, too. (According to the Brewers Association, Arkansas had 28 craft breweries at the end of 2016, although Sorensen documents more than 30, and there are some 40 active small brewery or microbrewery restaurant permits, according to ABC.)
These histories are more like mini-profiles of the breweries (most having opened since 2012) that serve as guides for beer geeks and beginners alike. The histories are brief yet enlightening, offering the reader concise, detailed and well-presented insights into the faces, the histories and the beers of these breweries while not editorializing over the beers. (Fortunately, there's no mention of "mouth feel" in the book, as far as I noticed.)
If you've ever wondered how Arkansas got from Vino's and Diamond Bear to where the beer scene is today, Arkansas Beer delivers that tale, showing craft beer was no overnight sensation, but it's here to stay. And that's good news for people who like their beer to taste like something.
Food on 09/27/2017