All Rise ... Beer is Now in Session

While the current output of advertising would have you believe that barleywines, imperials and doubles were always commonly available beers in the U.S., they are relatively new to the country.

In that horrible dark time during and after Prohibition—and until the present (the Dark Ages of Beer), it was more common to have a light beer filled with adjuncts and high water content.  In fact, it’s possible that the current popularity of high alcohol brews is a reactionary backlash to that. 

But, prior to Prohibition, American beer was basically German and English styles brewed with local ingredients.

One thing that a number of German and U.K. styles have in common is a low alcohol content, but a large mouthful of flavor.  They are tasty, complex and have a drinkability factor that is out of this world. They’re the “Swiss army knife of beers,” easily drinkable all day long.

Unfortunately, Prohibition killed off not only a large number of quality American breweries and beer styles, but completely stunted the growth of the American beer culture.  If you walk into a bar in the U.K. or Germany (or anywhere else in the world), you'll frequently see numerous large flat tables on open floor plans set next to each other. Why? Beer and the drinking of it is a social activity, not only with your friends after work, but with your community. And it doesn't take long to realize that you won't be spending long with your friends throwing back a 9-percent ABV strong ale.

In the U.K., they had, much like today, an excellent drinking tradition—and it has started to seep this way over the Atlantic.

In the U.S., these are what are now called "session beers."

It is put forth by BeerAdvocate.com that a "session" referred to one of the two allowable drinking periods in England that were imposed on shell production workers during World War I. The licensed sessions were 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m., and they apparently continued up until the Liquor Licensing Act 1988 was introduced.

Workers would find a beer that they could adequately quaff within these restrictive four-hour "sessions" that were imposed by the government without getting legless and drunk.

The jury’s out whether or not this is true—but it sounds nice, and it leaves us with a good term.