INTRODUCTION

 

What is in this section?

Beer has been an important part of British culture for generations. This section offers a whistle stop tour of the main elements in the story of beer and brewing. The emphasis is on what happened in Hertfordshire but since the history of beer is a global one there is also information from further afield.

For centuries Hertfordshire was one of the leading produces of malt, an essential ingredient of beer. Hertfordshire can also claim that for 57 years a whole town, Letchworth Garden City, was without pubs or off licenses.

To find out more click the buttons of the left-hand side.
Benskin's was the biggest brewery in Hertfordshire for many years. This image shows the brewery around 1920. Image courtesy of Watford Museum. Copyright applies.