Raise a Glass: Beer, Brewing, and the Road to Revolution

Raise a Glass: Beer, Brewing, and the Road to Revolution explores how one of the world’s oldest beverages helped shape early American history, culture, and identity.
From Indigenous fermentation practices to the bustling trade networks of colonial cities, this engaging talk reveals how beer was essential to daily life—and how it played an often-overlooked role in the lead-up to and during the American Revolutionary War. As British policies placed increasing pressure on key brewing ingredients, economic frustration grew into political resistance. Taverns emerged as vital hubs of debate and organization, where ideas of independence took hold.
This talk explores how fermentation and brewing shaped early American life and played a subtle but powerful role in the fight for independence.
Jessica Zinskie, Ph.D., is a scientific marketer at LICORbio with a passion for communicating science. With a background spanning academic research and industry, she has a knack for translating complex science into engaging, real-world stories. After the workday ends, she spends time with her husband, daughter, and poodle, and enjoys aerial yoga and soccer. In her free time, she brings history to life through one of its most influential yet unassuming beverages: beer.