Alcohol, Trade, and The Lifeblood of Bethabara

Modern alcohol production around the globe is a booming industry. In 2023, about $1.6 trillion in profit was made on alcohol alone. It is as profitable of a business as it is extensive. Modern alcohol production can be done virtually anywhere and by anyone. Large steel vats, as seen in the image above (Fig. 1), bottles lining the shelves, and beer taps lining the walls (Fig. 2) are just some of the things you might expect when entering a distillery, bar, or brewery. What kind of alcohol you can get at any given place is almost limitless.

However, this hasn't always been the case. The global availability of many different kinds of alcohol, whether it be beer, wine, or spirits, is relatively new. For Bethabara, and more broadly, the United States, the kinds of alcohol present would have been much more limited. You couldn't actively get a beer brewed in Japan while drinking a vodka distilled in Iceland. Alcohol production tended to be localized or regional, with settlements having a single brewery/distillery, and tavern. Therefore from the 1750s to 1820s, alcohol production and consumption was widely present, but not in the way it is today.

This section of the exhibit highlights Bethabara's ties to alcohol and how they relate to trade, consumption, and the economic stability of the settlement. Additionally, it notes how alcohol was produced, consumed, and traded around the United States more broadly.

In colonial times, alcohol production was common in settlements across North America. Breweries, taverns, and distilleries were an indispensable priority for settlements as they made money and served as a source of calories. In North America, people drank extensively, especially from 1790 to 1830. During this time, Americans consumed more alcohol per capita than any other time before or after. W.J. Rorabaugh calls America in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century "The Alcoholic Republic," where drunkenness and disruption from alcohol was an American tradition. From 1760 to 1810, colonists and Americans consumed an average of 3.5 gallons per person. The annual average consumption of distilled spirits totaled 4 gallons by 1810.

Bethabara's alcohol production lasted most prominently from 1756 to 1802. During this time, several breweries/distilleries were built, two taverns produced a stable economy, and thousands of gallons of alcohol were produced, sold, and consumed at Bethabara.

Similar to the rest of America, alcohol was widely present. Unlike the rest of America, the Moravians had rules on the consumption of alcohol and had a difficult relationship with it being sold en masse at the settlement. Figure 4 demonstrates a chart from the temperance movement. This chart notes beverages that are okay for consumption, like water and milk. Other drinks, like porter or wine, are only allowed with meals. Finally, beverages like grog were prohibited in excess.

In the diaries from Bethabara, the brethren noted that alcohol was controversial for the settlement. On one hand, it allowed the brethren to make lots of money through trade and sale. On the other hand, alcohol created disturbances at the settlement. Strangers caused the most disturbances, but occasionally, residents of Bethabara overindulged in the consumption of alcohol. As disruption remained consistent, the Moravians took measures to prevent further disturbances. This included making the Moravians only drink beer at meals, abstain from liquor consumption, and putting the tavern on the outskirts of the settlement.

As you continue this section, note how alcohol was both helpful and harmful to Bethabara.

The production of alcohol by the Moravians did not begin in Bethabara. Instead, the Moravians had produced significant amounts of alcohol at Nazareth, specifically in Christian Spring (Fig. 3). More alcohol was produced than in Bethabara, but that was likely because Nazareth and Bethlehem were larger. In Nazareth and later Bethlehem, breweries like Christian's Spring served the settlements as beer was used less for drunkenness and more for calories.

When Bethabara was established in 1753, it began the Southern denomination of the Moravians. By 1757, the North and South denominations were easily identifiable. Bethabara was settled to make money for the Moravians, which made way for settlements like Salem to be founded. Bethabara's early years were defined by growing pains as the settlement attempted to enter into North Carolina's trade. Once established, Bethabara remained a solid place of trade until operations slowed at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Because Bethabara was established as a place of commerce, the settlement was dedicated to trade and economic opportunities. By 1759, the Moravians made money from the apothecary, cobbler, miller, tailor, tannery, pottery, bakery, deerskin, distillery, and tavern. While deerskin trades made up a large portion of Bethabara's trade by 1763, the sale and production of alcohol remained significant. Bethabara's trade network stretched from the Carolinas to port towns like Wilmington and Charleston.

Deerskin was the most profitable product in Bethabara; however, alcohol remained profitable for the settlement. By 1765, the Moravians at Bethabara had built a tavern and brewery, which provided economic stability for the settlement. Bethabara's alcohol production lasted from 1756 to 1802. By the 1770s, much of Bethabara's economic production had moved to Salem. However, alcohol production remained prominent until the second brewery burned down in December 1802. Alcohol production continued until 1810, when the Moravians decided that all alcohol production should be moved to Salem.

Henrich Feldhausen came to Bethabara in 1753 with the first group of Brethren. Born on December 20, 1721, Feldhausen possessed skills as a shoemaker, carpenter, millwright, cooper, sieve maker, turner, and farmer. However, Feldhausen's most important skill was that of a brewer and distiller. In December 1756, the Brothers built Bethabara's first Brewery/Distillery. Feldhausen was listed as the settlement's head brewer and remained in the role until 1762.

Brewing and distilling in the 1700s were not pleasant experiences. Unlike alcohol production today, there were no specialized steel vats, temperature-controlled rooms, or air conditioning. Brewing and Distilling rooms could easily reach over 100 degrees and served more as punishment than pleasure. In Figure 6, you can see the two men standing over a boiling vat of beer (biěre in this image) and a few other men pushing barrels of alcohol. This sketch likely reflects what the brewery at Bethabara would have looked like during its most productive years.

Not only were brewing and distilling conditions poor, but the products brewers or distillers made would have been inconsistent, and, in some cases, taste disgusting. Things like outside climate, boiling points, ingredients used, which vats the liquid was stored in, and filtration all impacted the look and taste of any alcohol being produced this century.

1951 aerial map