Why Pabst Blue Ribbon switched from brewing beer to making cheese during Prohibition

How one Portland dive bar helped drive Pabst Blue Ribbon's comeback

In 2004, the Washington Post reported on the resurgence of Pabst Blue Ribbon, recast as a hip alternative to bigger-label brews, and said its comeback was thanks to Lutz Tavern in Portland, Oregon, which sold the beer for $1 a can.

Anheuser-Busch sold half of its real estate holdings to survive Prohibition

The Budweiser parent company also created and sold out more than 25 different nonalcoholic products during this time, including but not limited to infant formula, frozen eggs, and specialized coffees and teas.

How Prohibition changed beer

This historical survey from The Beer Connoisseur explores the breweries that survived the government's ban on alcohol production. The common denominator? They all pivoted their business models.

From 'Yankee cheddar' to American cheese

From "Yankee cheddar" to Kraft Singles, American cheese has a long history shaped by innovation and economics. Originally a cheddar export, it evolved into the processed slices we know today—thanks to a 1916 patent. And in the 1980s, it became “government cheese,” distributed to millions.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

The same mold behind penicillin also flavors blue cheese

There are over 300 species of Penicillium. The mold that produces the lifesaving antibiotic is a close relative to those used to make blue cheeses like Roquefort and Stilton and to flavor some types of ham.

The food processing techniques developed for World War II, later repurposed for consumers

Research projects funded or sponsored by the military led to the development of active dry yeast to make bread easier to bake and an improved version of dehydrated cheese, which would be used in powdered cheese snacks. Freeze-drying, which had been used to ease the transport of blood plasma to battlefields, where it would be reconstituted with water, was later used on fruit for cereals.

How beer became a part of medieval culture

This history of beer's evolution during the Middle Ages unpacks how the brewing process, which killed harmful bacteria, made beer a safe alternative to water. That fact, along with the Catholic church condoning (and, in some cases, producing) the beverage, helped it evolve into a major commodity.

Animals' stomach lining produces cheese

Cheesemaking would be impossible without rennet, the enzyme that separates milk’s liquid and solid components. Rennet occurs naturally in the stomach lining of young goats, cows, and lambs to help them digest milk, a process that also allows cheesemakers to use it to make curds. Now we have plant-based rennet that comes from thistles, artichokes, and other similar plants.

America's ice cream obsession began under Prohibition

The emotional attachment to the sweet treat began during Prohibition, when many brewers started churning out ice cream instead of alcohol. Eventually, it symbolized joy during wartime and the Great Depression.

The 1990s “Got Milk?” ad campaign was intended to fix milk’s dwindling popularity

Despite its success in spreading the word about milk, the sales numbers weren’t quite as impressive. This Mental Floss article details the marketing efforts themselves, as well as how milk lobbyists didn’t necessarily succeed despite their revolutionary ads.

Brazil is leading a cheese revolution and challenging European dominance in the industry

Brazil has plenty of traditional dishes that rely on cheese, but it’s only in the last decade that the country has emerged as a powerhouse in artisanal cheesemaking. While the cheeses may be inspired by European traditions, options like cocoa-dusted goat cheese or an Amazonian buffalo cheese are pure South American.

The US government reportedly hoards 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in caves

In limestone mines said to be hundreds of feet below the ground, officials have allegedly stored surplus cheese to keep the industry afloat amid ebbs and flows in demand.

Why did the US make it illegal to sell sliced bread during WWII?

Pre-sliced bread has only been with us for almost 100 years, but during the course of World War II it was briefly banned to save on supplies like wax paper and stainless steel for the war effort. This Atlas Obscura article explores this amusing (though not at the time) bit of food during wartime history.

Why Smartfood cheddar popcorn lost its flavor

A passionate fan of Smartfood's white cheddar popcorn investigates why the snack's flavor has diminished over the years. After consulting online forums, the author confirmed many fans noticed the shift. The inquiry revealed a major change to the ingredient list between 2019 and 2021, where cheddar cheese was downgraded and "natural flavors" upgraded—likely due to regulations around sodium use in snacks. Read for a fascinating overview of snack formulas, corporate marketing, and more.

Cheese is a less-well-known Hanukkah culinary tradition

It comes from a story of Judith, a widow whose hometown of Bethulia in Israel was seized by the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar. In some iterations, Judith brought the king's general, Holofernes, an array of salty snacks, including cheese, leading him to drink enough wine to pass out. Judith then beheaded Holofernes, inspiring the Israelites to attack and win the battle.

An interactive periodic table maps every possible combination of cheese variables

Plotting milk type, texture, rind, mold, aging, and processing as intersecting axes, the tool shows which combinations already exist as named cheeses, which survive only as rare regional styles, and which remain entirely unexplored.

Jimmy Carter signed a 1978 bill that legalized home brewing, a move credited with kick-starting the craft beer industry.

What is pumpernickel bread?

Pumpernickel is a dark rye bread made without wheat flour in Germany and exported to over 100 countries. It's one of the oldest breads in the world, having been made for at least 500 years. It's traditionally consumed alongside something hearty like meat. It lasts for years in a tin, and some recipes require it to be baked for up to 24 hours in its own steam.

Protein content and multiple fermentations create beer foam stability

Single-fermentation beers rely on protein viscosity for foam, with lipid transfer proteins transforming into stabilizing structures during fermentation. Scientists believe foam research may result in safer lubricants for electric vehicles.

The legend of Pittsburgh’s fake Burger King

Years ago, a Burger King in Pittsburgh lost its franchise due to repeated customer complaints about food quality. However, the franchise-holders continued to operate the restaurant, switching to generic packaging but keeping the signage and uniforms. Customers eventually caught on and raised suspicions, leading to Burger King's corporate leaders' involvement. Learn more about the bizarre establishment and how it managed to continue operations for months.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Most Westerners don't need more protein, despite the protein boom

You can find the macronutrient in snack bars and pretzels, shakes, and more, even though most normal diets in the West are already protein-heavy with meat and milk. A mix of increased exercise culture and influencer sway has led to a market hungry for it.

One of the Widow Clicquot’s many innovations was the process of riddling

Riddling involves storing Champagne bottles at an angle and methodically turning them in order to collect any sediment in the neck of the bottle. The technique—which was kept a strict secret—cut down on both time and waste, allowing the House of Clicquot to outsell its competitors for decades until word inevitably leaked and riddling became the standard.

Eduard Baltzer encouraged 'natural eating' in the 1860s

Historian Corinna Treitel credits the Protestant minister with inventing the concept of “natural eating” in Nordhausen, Germany, in the 19th century. Baltzer believed that people were consuming excessive amounts of schnapps, sugar, and meat, and that this behavior was having a detrimental impact on their lives. He encouraged a diet mostly of fruits and vegetables, though he was not opposed to food grown with artificial fertilizers.

How spoiled meat helped uncover a bacterium that can survive the vacuum of space

When a can of ground beef and pork spoiled despite attempts to sterilize it with gamma radiation, researcher Arthur Anderson isolated the bacteria in the food and discovered Deinococcus radiodurans. The polyextremophile has since been found on the walls of nuclear reactors and overcomes radiation damage through highly optimized DNA repair mechanisms.

How energy drink company Red Bull makes money

Red Bull was founded by Dietrich Mateschitz and is one of the world's most successful energy drink companies. The brand's value comes from its aggressive marketing efforts among students, nightlife, and sports figures, equating the consumption of one of its cans with excitement and athleticism.

Frozen burritos made the dish widely available in the 1950s

California native Duane Roberts, who also pioneered the frozen hamburger patty, invented the frozen burrito in 1956 to be easily prepared at fast food restaurants. This innovation also allowed it to be sold in supermarkets.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

When a Paris department store hesitated to sell Estée Lauder's perfume, she 'accidentally' broke a bottle, causing the smell to spread throughout the store and shoppers to start asking to buy the scent.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

The Great Salt Lake's distinct dual coloration results from high-salinity organisms that only live in the northern portion and produce a purple protein.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'

Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samples, the genre's foundational looped tracks

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

In its famous catalog, Sears sold $600 DIY house kits from 1908 through the 1940s, resulting in an estimated 100,000 'Sears and Roebuck homes.'

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, but became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

Artificial coral reefs have been 3D printed from nontoxic, biodegradable terracotta clay, which coral polyps have used as a foundation for rebuilding marine ecosystems.