Amy Mittelman is the author of Brewing Battles, the “story of the American brewing industry and its leading figures, from its colonial beginnings to the present day. Although today’s beer industry has its roots in pre-Prohibition business, major historical developments since Repeal have affected industry at large, brewers, and the tastes and habits of beer-drinking consumers as well.”
There’s an interesting excerpt of an interview with Mittelman in US News & World Report online entitled Will Beer Be the Next Casualty of the Crisis where she discusses beer throughout history during slow downs in our economy and her thoughts on what might happen in our present situation. It looks like you’ll have to pick up the print copy to read the full interview, though it might be worthwhile to see what else Mittelman has to say.