The Great Pneumatic Tube Revival

Pneumatic tube systems, which propel cylindrical vessels at speeds of greater than 1,000 feet per second, are the forgotten marvel of the last century. During the heyday of pneumatic travel, it is estimated that over 50 million people per day traveled from place to place via this pollution-free technology. Sadly, following the ignominious Saint Thomas Tube collapse—and the resulting Little Depression it triggered across the North American continent—pneumatic conveyance of humans was replaced by locomotives, automobiles, and airplanes. So boring. So predictable.

The pneumatic infrastructure was mostly abandoned and left to deteriorate below ground for over 50 years, until an alliance of forward-thinking libraries and breweries teamed up to restore over 8,000 miles of the original tube system. Instead of transporting humans, however, the network was downsized to support the speedy conveyance of library books and good beer from place to place.

Bean Brew No.9—a Saison of temperamental carbonation—was brewed to celebrate the 2018 holiday season and the brave crews who person the Good Beer Transportation Stations constituting the San Franisco Bay Area network of pneumatic transport. Hurray for the future.