The London Beer Flood of 1814
The bizarre and tragic story of the day London was drowned in over three hundred thousand gallons of beer.
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The bizarre and tragic story of the day London was drowned in over three hundred thousand gallons of beer.
Full transcript of The London Beer Flood of 1814
A fifteen-foot wave of dark beer once swallowed a London slum, erasing homes in minutes. In October 1814, a massive iron hoop snapped on a towering wooden vat. Three hundred thousand gallons of fermenting porter exploded into the crowded streets. The black tide demolished brick walls, instantly trapping families in basement tenements. Eight people drowned in the deluge, suffocated by the murky, rushing darkness. Yet, judges ruled the disaster an act of God, letting the wealthy brewers walk free. We remember great wars, but forget the day London drowned in a pint.