The latest beer in our Lager series is a century in the making. 

Pre-Pro Lager is the true embodiment of brewing at East Brother. It’s a nod to classic styles but with a twist. Pre-Pro, which stands for “Pre-Prohibition,” attempts to imagine what beer tasted like before the Prohibition Era in the United States over a hundred years ago. 

Prohibition radically altered the way beer was brewed and consumed, so trying to replicate beers brewed before Prohibition could come off as a daunting task—but one we were eager to take on. Because of Prohibition, many small-scale breweries shuttered or were absorbed by large-scale breweries. With fewer and fewer breweries, beer became more uniform in style. Light Lagers became the norm in America, even after Prohibition.

That’s one of the reasons we love our Lager series—it showcases the potential of Lager and breaks down what we know it to be. Every season, we release a new style of Lager, partially to celebrate the season, and partially to demonstrate how versatile this style of beer is. There’s no greater reminder of that than Pre-Pro. 

So where’s the twist? As you can imagine, trying to brew a beer from 100 years ago is a challenge. Part of that has to do with the grains that would have been used for a beer of that time. Lucky for us, our friends at Admiral Maltings worked with Ben Work, a farmer growing dry-farmed barley for decades alongside his family in Paso Robles. They secured his barley, called Atlas barley, which is named after a mountain range in Morocco where the barley comes from. Admiral malted this barley specifically for us to make this stunning beer. 

We at East Brother decided to use Cluster hops for this beer. Although hops used to grow all around California, Prohibition changed the state’s landscape. Cluster hops are one of the first hops that can be called truly American. 

This beer is truly something special. It’s no secret that at East Brother Beer, we’re into traditional beers and the labor it takes to make them great, and this beer embodies those values perfectly. It’s an ode to the beginnings of American beer traditions and set us on a journey to rediscover what beer tasted like over a century ago. 

What does Pre-Pro taste like? It’s unique and distinct, with the pure flavor of corn and barley coming through clearly. The aroma is slightly floral with citrus notes singing throughout. There’s a reason we release this beer in the summer—at 5.2%, Pre-Pro can stand the heat. 

Get this beer while it lasts! Even though it’s a century in the making, it’s only on our shelves for a few weeks! You can grab a 4-pack of this beer by visiting your local retailer, by ordering for curbside pickup or we’ll ship to you anywhere in California.