Drowned by Beer: The 1814 London Beer Flood
Drowning from beer became a real and dangerous cause of death in 1814, when the iron rings on massive vats of beer snapped loose. This bizarre, tragic event claimed the lives of eight people. Here's the story about the time a tsunami of hot, fermenting beer came pouring down on densely populated streets of London. An ‘Act of God,’ London courts proclaimed. In St. Giles, London, the Horse Shoe Brewery stood at the corner of Great Russell Street and Tottenham Court Road — which is nearly in the exact middle of London. They had 22-foot-high wooden fermentation tanks installed on the premises, held together by massive iron rings. These vats held over 3,500 barrels of brown porter ale, which is a beer similar to stout. During one busy afternoon on Oct. 17, 1814, an iron ring around the tank snapped. An hour later, the whole tank broke open, releasing hot, fermenting ale with such incredible force that the back wall of the brewery collapsed. It also crashed open several more vats, releasing nearly 320,000 gallons of beer into the area.
prostitutes, criminals, and the destitute. Eight people — Irish mourners in a basement, a mother and her child, and a teenage barmaid — were killed. Despite the dangers, some people scooped up as much liquid as they could in whatever containers they could find. Consequently, a ninth death was reported days later due to alcohol poisoning. Were there consequences for the brewery? The streets of St. Giles smelled like beer for many months afterward. The flood cost the brewery over £23,000 pounds (£1.25 million pounds today), but they were able to reclaim the excise duty paid on the beer and were granted £7,250 (£400,000 today) as compensation for the barrels of lost beer, which saved them from bankruptcy.
But what about the deaths? Although the brewery was taken to court, the London courts ruled the flood was an “Act
It created a 15-foot wave of beer and debris. The flood swept through the St. Giles Rookery, a
of God,” and the eight victims had lost their lives "casually, accidentally, and by misfortune.” Nobody was held responsible. We’re not so certain the Horse Shoe Brewery would’ve been as lucky in American courts! Thanks for joining us in remembering this very strange historical event, and we’ll see you next month.
densely populated London slum filled with cheap housing inhabited by
How Solar Panels Could Slow (or Stop) Your Boston Real Estate Sale
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