Reckoning with Jason Herbert

Historian and food studies scholar Jeffrey Pilcher joins Reckoning with Jason Herbert to explore the surprising global history of beer and how one of humanity’s oldest drinks became a worldwide commodity. Drawing from his new book Hopped Up: How Travel, Trade, and Taste Made Beer a Global Commodity, Pilcher traces beer’s journey from ancient brewing traditions to modern craft breweries, revealing how beer shaped—and was shaped by—capitalism, industrialization, migration, empire, advertising, and working-class culture.
In this episode, we discuss the origins of brewing in the ancient world, the rise of lager and Pilsner in Central Europe, German immigration and American beer culture, the globalization of brands like Heineken and Corona, and the explosion of craft brewing in the United States. Along the way, we dive into Czech beer halls, IPAs, bourbon barrel stouts, the politics of drinking, and why beer has always been about more than what’s in the glass.
If you love history, food culture, globalization, craft beer, or simply a great conversation about the human need for community and connection, this episode is for you.

What made George Washington more than a Founding Father? In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian H. W. Brands joins Jason to explore the man behind the marble statue—soldier, strategist, slaveholder, revolutionary, and reluctant president.
Drawing from Brands’ new biography of Washington, the conversation dives deep into the personality and contradictions of America’s first president. Together, they examine Washington’s rise during the French and Indian War, his leadership during the American Revolution, the brutal realities of Valley Forge, and the immense pressure of holding the Continental Army together when independence seemed impossible.
But this episode goes beyond battlefield mythology. Jason and Brands explore Washington’s carefully crafted public image, his obsession with reputation and character, his complicated relationship with slavery, and the enormous influence he had on later American leaders like Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. They also tackle a larger question: why does Washington still loom so large in American memory 250 years later?
From the halls of the Constitutional Convention to the frozen encampment at Valley Forge, this is a conversation about leadership, war, power, masculinity, and the creation of the United States itself.
Perfect for fans of American history, the Revolutionary War, presidential biography, and the complicated legacy of the Founding Fathers.

What does The Green Knight reveal about masculinity, honor, fear, and the strange world of medieval storytelling?
In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian and medievalist Matt Gabriele joins Jason for a deep dive into David Lowery’s haunting adaptation of the Arthurian legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Together, they unpack the film’s rich symbolism, eerie atmosphere, and surprisingly human portrayal of knighthood in the Middle Ages.
From Dev Patel’s unforgettable performance as Gawain to the mythology surrounding King Arthur, the conversation explores how medieval people understood honor, courage, religion, violence, and destiny. Jason and Matt discuss the real history behind Arthurian legends, the meaning of chivalry, the role of Christianity and folklore in medieval Europe, and why The Green Knight may be one of the most honest medieval films ever made.
Along the way, they tackle medieval masculinity, race in the medieval world, storytelling traditions, and the enduring power of myth in modern culture. Plus: bourbon, bad decisions, Monty Python, and why every historian secretly wants to talk about talking foxes and giants.
If you love medieval history, Arthurian lore, fantasy films, mythology, or thoughtful movie analysis, this episode is for you.
Topics Include:
The Green Knight explained 
 King Arthur and the origins of Arthurian legend 
 Medieval masculinity and chivalry 
 Dev Patel as Gawain 
 Religion and magic in the Middle Ages 
 Medieval storytelling and folklore 
 Race and diversity in medieval Europe 
 Why The Green Knight feels so different from other medieval films 
 The real meaning of honor and oathkeeping

What if our most famous environmental dystopias reveal as much about fear and ideology as they do about the future?
In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, I sit down with film scholar Matthew Thompson, author of On Life Support, to unpack the haunting world of Soylent Green—and the larger tradition of eco-dystopian cinema that emerged in the 1970s.
We explore how films like Soylent Green, Planet of the Apes, and Silent Running channeled the anxieties of the early environmental movement, from overpopulation and pollution to resource scarcity and class inequality. Drawing on the influence of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, we examine how these films translated real-world fears into unforgettable cinematic visions.
But this conversation goes deeper. Thompson argues that beneath their ecological warnings, these films often carry troubling assumptions—about population control, class, and who gets to survive. From the legacy of The Population Bomb to the shocking logic behind Soylent Green’s infamous twist, we ask: what do these stories really say about environmental politics—then and now?
We also connect the 1970s to today’s resurgence of eco-dystopian storytelling, from Snowpiercer to Don’t Look Up, and consider what modern climate anxiety reveals about our own moment.
This is a conversation about film, history, and the uneasy truths lurking beneath our visions of the future.

What if American slavery didn’t begin in 1619?
In this episode, historian Linford Fisher joins me to discuss Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in US History and the overlooked history of Indigenous enslavement.
We explore how Native slavery shaped early America—from the Pequot War and Yamasee War to land theft, westward expansion, and boarding schools—and why this history still matters today.
A powerful rethink of American origins—and the stories we’ve been missing.