Date of Award

5-2026

Access Control

Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Advisor

Dr. Erin Barr

Department Home page

https://history.buffalostate.edu/

First Reader

Erin Barr, Ph.D.

Second Reader

Martin Ederer, Ph.D.

Abstract

This thesis looks at Buffalo’s legacy breweries from 1870 to 1972.  Buffalo had a dynamic brewing past with over 30 breweries in existence on the eve of Prohibition. Buffalo’s breweries always displayed remarkable entrepreneurial ingenuity, which allowed them to adapt, change, and shift their businesses to survive. The brewers faced setbacks well before Prohibition ranging from fires to overcompetition to licensing challenges to outside brewers poaching their local markets. In covering Prohibition challenges, this thesis will only look at local brewers’ attempts to survive inside the law.  Plenty of work has already been done on illegal forms of coping.  In any event, staying within the rules shows the brewers’ ingenuity better than had they gone illegal.

Brewing also had a life beyond just beer, also shaping immigration, employment and unions, and communities. The Temperance Movement was also against more than just the evils of alcohol, specifically the immigrants doing the brewing and distilling. It also fueled a soft drink industry, which helped some of Buffalo’s brewers to survive Prohibition, that is, until national breweries, ironically, took control of entire local markets, including Buffalo.

Still, Buffalo’s smaller legacy breweries, as local small business owners, tell us much about how smaller businesses formed the backbone of the United States. The brewers’ hard work and resilience helped to build the Buffalo community. Therefore, their efforts as legitimate businesses deserve to be explored. Cheers!

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