The Beer War of Puyallup
When the Puyallup city council halted new liquor licenses, the local brewing industry retaliated with an economic embargo on the valley’s hop farmers.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The attention of the liquor dealers, who are members of the Liquor Dealers' Association, has been called to the fact that the Puyallup city council has refused to issue new liquor licenses there when old ones expire, resulting in weeding out the saloons and enforcing prohibition in a measure. By way of retaliation, the liquor dealers who have any influence with the breweries, and most of them have some influence, propose to have Puyallup valley hops boycotted. The Milwaukee brewery, of this city, is credited with taking the initiative in refusing to buy hops offered it for sale.
“By way of retaliation, the liquor dealers who have any influence with the breweries, and most of them have some influence, propose to have Puyallup valley hops boycotted.”
This 1893 clash highlights the historic tension between local municipal control and the concentrated power of industrial lobbyists. Even over a century ago, the 'hometown' industry was leveraging its supply chain to crush grassroots attempts at local regulation.
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