Seven people died by drowning in 300,000 gallons of spilled beer during the London Beer Flood of 1814.

Seven people died by drowning in 300,000 gallons of spilled beer during the Londo 

Beer Flood of 1814.

Its effect was so strong to sink it into the history books as the ‘London Beer Flood’. The tragic day during which so much booze was lost, and left seven people dead, was on the 16th of October, 1814.

The tragedy happened at the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road, St. Giles, London. Suddenly, a mammoth vat with over 135,000 imperial gallons – equivalent to 610,000 liters – of beer bust and thanks to the domino effect, the other vats followed suit. The aftermath was 323,000 imperial gallons (1,470,000 liters) of beer flowing into the streets.

Two homes were destroyed by the alcohol tsunami and the walls of the Tavistock Arms Pub smashed. A teenage employee was left trapped under the rubble. Even worse, seven people lost their lives by drowning in the beer or succumbing to injuries from the same. The incident resulted in a lawsuit but the judge dismissed it as an Act of God. Yes, act of God.