On October 17, 1814, a massive vat containing over 135,000 gallons of beer ruptured at the Meux and Company Brewery in London. The explosion triggered a domino effect, bursting other vats and sending a 15-foot wave of beer crashing through the streets of St. Giles, one of London's poorest neighborhoods. In minutes, 388,000 gallons of beer were flooding homes, demolishing buildings, and drowning residents.

Eight people died in the disaster - crushed by debris, drowned in their basements, or trapped in collapsing buildings as the beer wave hit. The George Street and New Street areas were devastated. One house collapsed entirely, killing a mother and daughter having tea. A wall fell on a group gathered for a wake, adding to the death toll. Survivors described the overwhelming smell of beer and the bizarre sight of their neighborhood submerged  ...