Boston.com, April 2025
Sitting around a long wooden table, friends are kicking back with some drinks after a hard day of work. One person had too many beers and is making an impassioned speech. Another is looking for a game to play. This happens every day in Boston at breweries and taverns. It also happened during the creation of the United States.
Northeastern University history professor and beer scholar Malcolm Purinton sees the “social lubrication” of alcohol as an essential part of the American story. “Alcohol has a special place in the social history of our species,” said Purinton. “Taverns are essential. They were necessary for business and for planning a rebellion.”
