Historian Malcolm Purinton 98F Brews Together the Study of Sociology, Globalization, and Beer
Malcolm Purinton 98F has sampled thousands of beers. From home brews to local delights in Belize, South Africa, Scotland, England, Belgium—the list goes on.
Purinton is not your average beer connoisseur and craft enthusiast. In fact, he’s a beer historian and scholar with a doctorate in history from Northeastern University. As an undergrad, he developed an interest in studying the culture and sociology surrounding beer.
His fascination with the history of beer continued to grow and eventually, Purinton found himself pursuing his Ph.D. on the topic, diving deeper into the role beer has played in colonization, the building of empires, and religion.
Puriton was recently profiled by Ian Thomsen for News@Northeastern. In the interview, he discusses his upcoming book Globalization in a Glass: The Rise of Pilsner Beer through Technology, Taste and Empire, due out this spring, as well as his journey into the study of beer, and more. Read the full interview.
Purtinton earned his B.A. from Hampshire College with a focus in theatre and acting. Following his undergraduate studies, Puriton studied the history of religion and ultimately earned his Ph.D. from Northeastern University where he studied world history and the history of beer and brewing through topics of empire, trade, and taste. He currently works as an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern. His work has been published in The New England Quarterly, The Journal of Food and Culture, and The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol among others.
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
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