Traveling exhibit cracks open ‘Beer in WWII’
The Senator John Heinz History Center’s “We Can Do It! WWII” World War II exhibit is traveling to West Overton Village in Westmoreland County, where it opens Saturday night, along with what could be a sneak peek of part of a national beer museum.
The folks working to open Brew: The Museum of Beer in Pittsburgh curated and contributed a small exhibit called “Beer in WWII” that people can first see at the opening party.
According to Brew, the exhibit, which includes vintage images and artifacts, aims to depict:
• the story of how beer went to war
• the post-Prohibition “redemption” of beer through some of the first national advertising campaigns
• the challenges of putting out more beer with many employees away at war
• ways that beer made it to the troops, and
• how the war changed beer for decades to come.
Unlike in World War I, when Prohibition was on and beer’s Germanic roots were vilified, during WWII, beer was successfully marketed as patriotic, says Joe McAllister, principal of the local National Beer Museum Development Group. The U.S. Army wanted beer for the troops — conscripting 15 percent of production — and of course the troops wanted it, too
The exhibit includes soldiers’ letters referencing beer. “You can see what beer meant to them,” he says. “More than a beverage, it meant home.”
The war changed American beer, making it more watery, a situation that lingered for decades.
The museum group recently was awarded a state grant to build another exhibit, which it wants to install somewhere Downtown, to tell “The Story of Beer in Pennsylvania.” That project starts in July. Meanwhile, “Beer in WWII” could be the first of several popup exhibits that would be set up in various places. The full museum will tell an even bigger story about beer and war.
The “We Can Do It” opening reception runs from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Distillery Museum at West Overton, which wants to fire up an actual distillery later this year. The $10 ticket, available via showclix.com or by calling 724-887-7910 or at the door, includes two complimentary brews or other adult drinks and light hors d’oeuvres. Attendees are welcome to wear 1940s clothing — or not.
“This is a modest exhibit,” Mr. McAllister says about the beer part. “But we’re going to have a good time and it’s interesting stuff and we’ll be there to talk about it.”
West Overton Village and Museum is located near Scottdale at 109 W. Overton Road (15683). The “We Can Do It!” exhibition, which showcases four local war heroes and includes 100 local artifacts, goes on display there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Saturday and runs through March 26. Learn more at westovertonvillage.org.
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Saturday is the second Rhapsody in Beer fundraiser for the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra. It’s a homebrew competition that runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Spirit, 242 51st St., Lawrencville. Twenty-two homebrewers will be bringing 55 beers to vie in several categories, including Brewer’s Choice, chosen by Cary Shaffer of Couch Brewery, where the winning recipe will be scaled up, brewed and served. There will be pizza for sale, and Abacus Jones will perform. Tickets are $40 and include a souvenir glass for unlimited beer tasting. For $65, you can get in an hour early and also get a T-shirt. If there are any tickets left at the door — there were not last year — they will cost more, so organizers suggest getting them here: https://edgewoodsymphony.org/support/rhapsodyinbrew.
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We recently shared the news that Sly Fox Brewing Co. (of Pottstown and Phoenixville, Pa.) is opening a brewery and taproom on the South Side this year. In fact, it’s also opening a taproom Downtown — at 300 Liberty Ave. where Stone Neapolitan Pizzeria used to be. The plan is to open it by summer. We will update as both locations come together.
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Back this week, on draft and in cans, is the collaboration beer between Western Pennsylvania’s Rivertowne Brewing and Eastern Pennsylvania’s Sly Fox Brewing Co. that commemorates the Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers rivalry that will play out in the NHL’s Stadium Series game on Feb. 23. The “confrontation brew” is Glove Dropper Blood Orange IPA.