In memory of Grafton beer

This and the following beer label come from a beer label collection.

Growing up, Grafton was the first beer I drank.

Most people now don't remember Grafton beer. The Grafton Brewing Company was taken over by Tooheys in 1961. At first, they maintained the Grafton label, but then it went.

For the life of me, I cannot remember when. I was away. When I left it was still there. When I came back, it was gone. 

Social Change in New England 1950-2000 9: Grafton Brewing Company Limited tells a little of the story of Grafton beer, set in the context of my continued exploration of social change in New England in the period of 1950-2000.

As I remember it, Grafton was quite a bitter beer. I know that some people didn't like for that reason. I guess I learned to like it. Even today, I find some beers to sweet.

The story of Grafton beer is an interesting one, because it shows how difficult it can be to break into a marketplace when you face entrenched opposition.

New England once had a lot of local beers. With the coming of the railways, the smaller breweries vanished in the face of mass-produced beers.

To my knowledge, Grafton is unusual because it was a later attempt to enter the commercial marketplace.

Today at least some New England beers are back in the form of boutique beers.

It would be interesting to know how many there are.