58 pages • 1 hour read
J. Ryan StradalThe Lager Queen of Minnesota
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Historical Context: The Evolution of American Beer Brewing in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Invented by women and considered women’s work for thousands of years, brewing beer only became a male-dominated industry after industrialization. With the invention of large fermentation vessels, factory bottling equipment, and a more substantial infrastructure for distribution, beer brewing evolved from a domestic chore to a lucrative industry. An increase in German immigration, particularly those who settled in the American Midwest, increased the demand for beer in the US in the early 20th century. However, American prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by World War II in the 1940s, stalled the development of the modern American beer industry. Only a handful of breweries like Anheuser-Busch, Yuengling, Coors, and Miller dominated American brewing from the 1970s through the 1990s.
During this time, women were mostly absent from the major breweries. Helen’s character highlights this gender disparity when she researches beer brewing at Macalester: “But when the books had photographs [...] she saw a lot of people who looked like her grandpa, and a lot who looked like Orval Blotz, but no one who looked like her” (40). Ahead of her time, Helen fulfills the vital role of overcoming barriers and making sacrifices to make her mark on the brewing industry. Helen’s character reflects real-life women such as Jill Vaughn and Rebecca Bennett, celebrated brewmasters at Anheuser-Busch. The way she is overshadowed by men at the brewery she helps build also mirrors the real-life experiences of women brewers. The nation’s first craft brewery, New Albion Brewing Company (now closed) was founded by Suzy Stern and Jane Zimmerman, though credit for the brewery is often given solely to Jack McAuliffe, the company’s third (and only male) founder.
Diana’s and Frank’s characters represent the ushering in of the craft brewing era in America. Because homebrewing was illegal until the late 1970s, small, non-corporate brewers experienced difficulty opening businesses until the 1980s and 1990s. However, by the 2000s-2010s, craft brewers (defined as being independently owned, producing fewer than six million barrels annually, and using both traditional and innovative ingredients to diversify flavor) transformed the brewing industry, creating a more welcoming environment for diversity. Multiple successful woman-owned breweries like Bombshell Beer Company, Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Lady Justice Brewing, Harlem Brewing Co., and Back Home Beer contribute to a modern beer industry that celebrates crafting unique, flavorful brews meant to be savored.
Socio-Historical Context: Changes to the American Nuclear Family in the 20th and 21st Centuries
The Calder family represents the end of an era for traditional American nuclear families in the mid-20th century. Traditionally, married, heterosexual, religious parents raised multiple children to inherit land, wealth, and businesses owned by the family. The concept of the American nuclear family holds especially true for farmers of the American Midwest, where The Lager Queen of Minnesota is set. Shortly before his death, Helen and Edith’s father has a realization:
Their family was supposed to be so much larger, like the other farm families they’d known, but Momma’s womb was fussy and killed all the boys, half the girls, and a few undecideds. His heirs were two daughters, neither of whom wanted to farm, nor married men who did (138).
Although Edith does not inherit her family’s legacy, she carries on her family’s domestic and religious traditions. Expectations of raising children, caring for older family members, and taking care of the house and home fell entirely on the women of the generations who came of age in the mid-20th century and before. Higher education and career aspirations were rare among women.
Helen, however, illustrates a shift in the American nuclear family as women emerge in industry. Although many women Helen meets in college prioritize dating over studies, Helen is genuinely interested in chemistry and brewing. Due to the second-wave feminist movement, women began earning advanced degrees and building careers outside the home more regularly during the 1970s-1990s. Heterosexual marriage values evolved to idealize equal partnership between men and women, as exhibited by Helen and Orval.
By the time Diana considers marriage to Andy in 2016, the definition of the American family allows for a more inclusive, diverse makeup. Diana was raised by her grandmother, and together she and Edith make up their own small family unit, representing the rise of multigenerational, single-parent, and blended families common and more broadly accepted in modern times. Diana recognizes, “It was pretty obvious that there weren’t fathers in a lot of the units either, or if there were, often no mothers. [...] Either way, everyone’s gotta eat” (106). Diana and Andy’s nonreligious, individualistic wedding contrasts with Edith and Helen’s traditional weddings from the 1970s. Lucy says, “Ah, you can’t tell these kids nothing” (218) when Edith explains Diana’s request for pies instead of wedding cake at the reception. Diana never experiences pressure to marry Andy or have children with him. Comparatively, she experiences much pressure to acquire debt via academic loans. She and Andy equally desire marriage and children in addition to their career aspirations, representing modern family values.
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