Geographies of Beer

Dr. Mark Patterson and Dr. Nancy Hoalst-Pullen in the Department of Geography and Anthropology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have partnered on research focusing on the geographies of beer.  They have co-edited two academic volumes on the subject: The Geography of Beer: Regions, Environment and Societies in 2014, followed up by The Geography of Beer: Culture and Economics in 2020. 

The geography professors have also traveled more than 160,000 miles across 28 countries to reveal the most unique, historic and delicious brews across the globe, culminating in a book published by National Geographic in 2017 - ATLAS OF BEER: A Globe-Trotting Journey Through the World of Beer. 

Beer is a story about geography. It is a story about how and why local plants and ingredients are fermented and the myriad of roles it has played within almost every culture and society. This research examines various influences, relationships, and developments of beer from distinctly spatial perspectives, exploring the functions of beer and brewing from unique and sometimes overlapping cultural, economic, and environmental viewpoints. In other words, the researchers will discuss how - and why - beer is liquid geography in a glass.