In the U.S., pretzels have been long associated with German immigrants in Pennsylvania where the first pretzel bakery began in 1861. Pretzels also became associated with the men-only saloon culture where beer brewed by Germans was sold in sole-brewery establishments. Beer and pretzels became unpopular with the anti-German sentiments during WW I in 1917-1918 and may have helped Prohibition ratification in 1919.

My dad was a beer and pretzels kind of guy. A friend of the family we visited on occasion did not have pretzels to be eaten with beer. In fact, she didn't have pretzels with anything. Her distaste for pretzels went back to her parents' time, but she carried it into her own. The funny thing about it was her husband was a beer and pretzels guy and would have them at other people's homes much to the frustration of his wife.

That picture has hypnotized me into EATING ALL the pretzels. They were all stale, need new teeth. 😒