Many brewers, as you might expect, keep a rotating selection of their own beers, just to see how they age. Adam Avery, for example, keeps a vast cellar of all his beer that’s 8% ABV and above as far back as 1998. He has hundreds of cases, and he uses them for vertical tastings as well as special events and fundraisers providing a special treat for the lucky few that attend those.

Likewise, Tomme Arthur keeps at least fifteen different vintage beers for sale in the tasting room of his Lost Abbey Brewery.

Boston Beer Co’s Jim Koch has saved some of the first bottles of Boston Lager from 1984 in his personal cellar, a reminder of “how far we’ve come since I first started brewing and bottling at home.” He also has some more drinkable old bottles of “Triple Bock, each release of Utopias, Millenium and a 10-year-old beer I made for my wife’s 40th birthday, which I named Cynthophrenia.” He likens it “own personal time machine.  Just as we do at the brewery, I save a few bottles of certain brews to see how they change over the years.”

Others keep beers of various ages they try to open just when the time is right. For example, Fal Allen, from Anderson valley Brewing, keeps a selection of Rochefort beers, Westvleteran and other Belgians, along with some local sours and barley wines, which he uses both for comparison and when colleagues visit him at the brewery.

Matt Van Wyk found a wine cellar in the home he bought in Eugene, Oregon when he moved to begin brewing at Oakshire Brewing. He immediately converted it to a beer cellar and today it contains two of his own favorites; a 2002 Two Brothers Bare Trees Weiss Wine, where he worked early in his career, and a 2006 Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek he bought at the brewery in Brussels.

Greg Koch

Stone Brewing’s Greg Koch likes to approach his beer cellar the same way he thinks is the “best way to approach life: it’s about the journey, not the destination. Thus, pick a beer to age, buy at least six bottles of it, and (nearly) religiously open one every 3-6 months.  Thus, you can appreciate the beer’s aging progression. And, if at any point you decide that it’s peaked, pop open and enjoy the rest in a shorter timeframe.” Some of his favorites include a homebrewed Imperial Stout by Mikkel, before he started Mikkeller, an “Alternative Altbier,” a homebrew he brewed with business partner Steve Wagner in 1992, four years before they founded Stone, a Blind Pig 2nd Anniversary Ale, from around 1995, and Bottle #001 of the first barrel-aged AleSmith Speedway Stout.

Ithaca Beer Co.’s Jeff O’Neil recently opened a bottle Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek when a trio of brewers from Pennsylvania were visiting his brewery, one of which also brought a bottle of Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek after he’d interned at the Belgian brewery museum. Since O’Neil had saved the Drie Fonteinen for a long time, the opportunity to try the two Belgian cheery lambics side-by-side proved the perfect opportunity to open that beer. As he said of the experience, “they couldn’t have been more alike in spirit or more different in execution.” Similarly, Steve Parkes at the American Brewers Guild opened a 25-year old Thomas Hardy Barley Wine he’d been saving on his 50th birthday.

I’ll drink to that.

The Beer Stein (Eugene, Oregon)
Belmont Station (Portland, Oregon)
Bottleworks (Seattle, Washington)
Ebeneezer’s Pub (Lovell, Maine)
The Farmhouse (Emmaus, Pennsylvania)
The Happy Gnome (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Kulminator (Antwerp, Belgium)
Lost Abbey’s Taproom (San Marcos, California)
Memphis Taproom (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Monk’s Cafe (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Sam’s Quik Shop (Durham, NC)
Sergio’s World Beers (Louisville, Kentucky)
Toronado (San Francisco, CA)

Beer is surprisingly delicate and never stops changing and evolving from the beginning of the brewing process right through to your first sip. Even so, for all but a very few beers, time is the enemy. Like a new car driving off the dealer’s lot, most beer will never be better than when it has that new beer smell… and taste!

So Why Bother?

The reason some beers should be set aside and aged is that like a fine wine or whisky, the experience of drinking an aged beer is enhanced because of the changes that occur during the aging process. For these few beers, the aging actually improves their flavors and adds complexity and other intangible qualities that can be achieved only over time. Many of these beers soften with time, rough edges are smoothed out and the beer becomes mellower with aging.

Some styles of beer fairly cry out to be aged. Many experts believe, for example, that a barley wine isn’t ready to drink until it’s at least one year old. The same could be said for other stronger styles, too, such as imperial stouts or Belgian strong dark ales, both of which improve greatly with time.

And despite its delicate nature, some beers can withstand the rigors of time and improve for as long as decades and even centuries. A few years ago, Coors Brewing, after taking over the former Bass Brewery in Burton-on-Trent, England, discovered some very old beer in the vaults of the Worthington’s White Shield brewery. The forgotten stash contained beer that was 130 years old, some of it from 1896. Most of the bottles still had their corks intact and, perhaps more surprisingly, when tasted, were found to “taste so fresh, and with [very] attractive ripe plum and honeyed flavours.” One of the people lucky enough to try the 1896 beer, Dr George Philliskirk, Chief Executive of the Beer Academy, noted. “This demonstrates the potential for vintage beers to be taken seriously—maybe even being worthy of a special section in wine lists at Britain’s top restaurants.”

In May of this year, the South Beer Cup was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was the first attempt at a continent-wide beer competition, and was organized by the Centro de Cata de Cerveza, or “Beer Tasting Center” in Buenos Aires, with support from the local homebrew club in Argentina, Somos Cerveceros. It was, in effect, their own version of the Great American Beer Festival and Craft Brewers Conference (which is a trade conference where brewers can continue to learn their craft) combined.

For the competition, there were 280 beers from 72 breweries entered in 20 categories representing four countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Along with the local judges, made up of brewers and BJCP certified judges, several experienced North American judges were on hand for the inaugural event. Over forty medals, and a number of honorable mentions were awarded to much fanfare during a gala event held the last night of the conference in Buenos Aires.

The passion that made American craft beer the envy of the world is very much in evidence everywhere one looks. That, and a willingness to help one’s fellow brewers is creating all the right conditions for pocket microbrewery revolutions throughout the continent. During the South Beer Cup, Argentina brewers, led by Leonardo Ferrari from Antares Brewery (one of Argentina’s most successful craft breweries), announced the formation of the Asociación de Cervecerías Artesanales (ACAA), whose mission is exactly that: to help grow all craft breweries in Argentina.

And in most of the other nations in the region that’s a common tale. In Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, for example, brewers have all begun informally working together to promote what they’re doing, to raise awareness of just what craft beer has to offer.
In early September, a second beer competition will be held in South America, known as Copa Cervezas de America. This one will take place in Chile and will include judging of both Chilean beer (with around three dozen breweries) and all South American beer, too.

While not technically part of South America, the Latin American country of Mexico is experiencing a similar brewing renaissance. Though only around a dozen small brewers exist in the country, they’ve already banded together to form the Association of Mexico Beer, or Acermex. Despite being only about 1 percent of Mexico’s beer market, which is utterly dominated by two ginormous beer companies, breweries like Cervecería Calavera, Cucapa and Primus are already making waves, finding loyal fans, and getting attention from both the local and international media.

St. Louis, Missouri

While St. Louis has arguably slipped in its influence, both beerwise and otherwise, the history of Anheuser-Busch still makes it a destination for beer lovers. A century ago, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country, which is when it acquired its nickname as the “Gateway to the West,” but today it is not even in the top fifty.

History alone makes a trip to visit the original Anheuser-Busch brewery de rigueur. But you’ll also want to visit one of Schlafly Brewery’s two locations, and not because they bill themselves as St. Louis’ second-largest brewery. Other breweries include The Stable, Square One Brewery and Mattingly Brewing. Outside the city limits, check out the O’Fallon Brewery.

For beer bars in the city, there’s the 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, Iron Barley and Bailey’s Chocolate Bar. In the area, there’s also the International Tap House in Chesterfield and the Wine and Cheese Place if you’re shopping for bottles.

At the end of April is the best time to visit, at least for beer, because that’s when the city puts on its own St. Louis Beer Week.

Beyond beer, for art visit the St. Louis Art Museum and Forest Park, which was built for the 1904 World’s Fair. The Gateway Arch is hard to miss, but there’s also the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and the St. Louis Union Station. While not strictly a non-beer destination, the Lemp Mansion is open to tourists, and several ghosts are reputed to haunt the home. The mansion was owned by the family that ran the Lemp Brewery, which in 1870, was the largest brewery in St. Louis.

Montreal, Quebec

Montreal is the second largest city in Canada and also the second largest city of French speakers. Only Paris has more people who speak French. It is also home to nearly twenty breweries within the city limits and several more just outside.

Some of the best include Dieu du Ciel, Le Chaval Blanc and Le Saint-Bock Brasserie. A few others worth your time are Brutopia, any of the four Les 3 Brasseurs or the Benelux Brewpub. If you can get out of town, Unibroue on the Chambly River has a fun tour.

If you’re hungry or looking for a good beer bar, try Fourquet Fourchette, Vices et Versa or Broue Pub Brouhaha. If you want to bring some beer home with you, your best best bet is Depanneur Peluso.

In some ways, Montreal is two cities. There’s an underground city there with tunnels spanning 20 miles connecting 80 percent of the city’s downtown office space and 35 percent of all commercial space. It also connects 60 residential complexes, meaning you could conceivably never go outside, especially during a harsh winter, for weeks at a time, yet still eat and rink beer at some of the finest places in town. Each day, about half a million people use one of the 120 entrances and exits to the underground.

When the weather is nice, Mount Royal is a great place to go. Created by Frederick Law Olmstead, who is most famous for creating NYC’s Central Park, it offers the most amazing views of the city. Nearby is St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest church in Canada and boasting the biggest dome of any kind after the one in the Vatican.

For other non-beer things to do, there’s the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Olympics Stadium – the site of the 1976 summer games.

If you can choose when to visit Quebec, June is a good time because that’s when Montreal’s best beer festival is held. The Mondial de la Biere lasts five days and includes many special events in addition to the festival itself.

Austin, Texas

“Keep Austin Weird” is Austin’s unofficial motto, and it fits with the Texas capitol’s status as an oasis for artists, musicians, liberals and even brewers. In and around town, there are seven breweries, and while Austin is the fourth largest city in Texas, it still feels small. And geographically, it is relatively small, meaning you can visit them all. There’s the Draught House, Independence Brewing, Live Oak Brewing, Lovejoy’s North by Northwest, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que and the new (512) Brewing, a nod to the town’s telephone area code. There is a rumor of a forthcoming beer week being planned, but a time and date has not been announced yet.

Music is a big part of Austin, which bills itself as the “Live Music Capitol of the World,” due to having more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city. A stroll down 6th Street reveals music of all kinds wafting out of endless clubs and bars. Some of the best beer bars to check out are the Ginger Man, Billy’s on Burnet, the Elephant Room, Opal’s Divine and Zax Pints and Plates. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to pick up something for the road, the Grapevine Market or Spec’s will have what you’re looking for with great selections.

If you’re hungry, there are plenty of barbeque joints to fill you up. Stubb’s Bar-B-Q or Iron Works on River Street downtown popular destinations.

Beyond beer, there’s a lot of do in Austin, from ambling around the quirky shopping district to watching the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge, which boasts the largest urban population of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats. Every night around sunset, 1.5 million bats fly out in search of food; there vast numbers even show up on the local radar. For indoor activities try the Blanton Museum of Art, the O. Henry Museum or the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture.

Anchorage

Though Alaska is a very large state, its population is concentrated around the edges due to the inhospitable weather. Forty percent of its residents live in Anchorage, which is the state’s largest city with around 280,000 people. For such a small town, there are plenty of beer choices.

There are four breweries in Anchorage: Glacier Brewhouse, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Moose’s Tooth and Sleeping Lady (which also goes by the name Snow Goose Restaurant). There are also several bars that stock good beer, including Bear’s Tooth, Cafe Amsterdam, Cahir 5 Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse and Tap Root Cafe. If you can visit only one, Humpy’s is your best bet.

For buying beer, try either Brown Jug WareHouse or La Bodega, which used to be called Yukon Spirits. The local Brewers Guild of Alaska has of late tried to promote Alaska Beer week in early January around the same time as Anchorage’s premiere beer festival: The Great Alaska Beer & Barleywine Festival. Beerwise, the whole town comes alive that week and it has become a popular best fest destination.

Despite it being cold outside, there are plenty of outdoor activities, especially if you love snow which the town gets around 70 inches of a year. Even In July, the high rarely hits 65 degrees. There are dozens of parks, many with hiking trials and several ski resorts. The area is also home to around 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears. Moose have a summer population of about 250 but swell to 1,000 in the winter. Both are common sights in town.

If you prefer to stay indoors, there are numerous museums, such as the Alaska Museum of Natural History, the Anchorage Museum, the Imaginarium (or Science Discovery Center) and the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

The Griffin Group is led by beverage alcohol veterans, Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, two longtime San Francisco residents who have been working with Anchor Brewing Company’s owner, Fritz Maytag to maintain the iconic brewery and distillery in San Francisco.

“Anchor Brewing Company has a long history in San Francisco and The Griffin Group is ushering in an exciting era while maintaining our proud, time-honored history,” said Fritz Maytag. “Combining Keith and Tony’s passion for the Anchor Brewing Company, their industry experience and expertise only means that Anchor will be enjoyed in San Francisco for generations to come.”

“Since 1896, Anchor Brewing Company has been an icon of San Francisco’s history and culture,” stated Griffin’s Founding Partner, Keith Greggor, “I am honored to bring Anchor Brewing Company into our family of craft beers and artisanal spirits through establishing Anchor Brewers & Distillers, LLC.”

Anchor Brewers & Distillers intends to establish a “Center of Excellence” in San Francisco for craft brewers and artisan distillers from around the world. An epicenter of development, education, entertainment and innovation, all designed to further contribute to the culture and heritage of craft beer and artisan spirits.

“San Francisco is the perfect place to establish this center,” stated Tony Foglio, “Through our extensive portfolio of craft beers and fine spirits our focus will be to educate and satisfy the increasing consumer demand for authentic, quality and natural products that reflect the passion of their creators.”

Continuing the Anchor heritage, Mr. Maytag has been named Chairman Emeritus of Anchor Brewers & Distillers.

The Griffin Group operates as both boutique merchant and investment bank for premiere craft beers and artisan spirits. In addition to the Anchor Beers, The Griffin Group will assume control of the spirits brands including Old Potrero Whiskey, Junipero Gin and Genevieve Gin through the acquisition of Anchor Brewing Company. Additional affiliated companies to be held under Anchor Brewers & Distillers include Preiss Imports, a leading US specialist spirits and beer importer, and BrewDog USA, LLC, the US division of the leading UK craft beer.

The Griffin Group is headquartered in Novato, Marin County, California.

Over sixty years ago, a trade group of breweries—The United States Brewers Foundation (USBF)—launched an advertising campaign with the aim of changing the public’s perception of beer. The USBF wanted beer to be seen in a more positive light, as an integral part of the American way of life and, as their now famous tagline states, as “America’s beverage of moderation.”

From 1945 to 1956, the USBF produced at least 136 ads using the same thematic elements, with 120 of them numbered as part of the “Home Life in America” series. Well-known artists and illustrators of the day were commissioned to paint idyllic works showing an idealized post-war America enjoying their new prosperity in a variety of settings, but with beer, naturally, at the center of it all. The scenes are reminiscent of something Norman Rockwell would have painted, with everyone well dressed and prosperous; smiling families and friends enjoying themselves in a variety of common settings, climates and seasons throughout a typical year. The ads are strikingly beautiful, and are some of the best examples of commercial illustration from the time period.

What led the brewers of the post-World War II era to promote beer in this way, and as a cohesive group, is a fascinating story that stretches back to the century before, when another war gripped our nation, the Civil War or War Between the States, depending on your orientation.

Is Beer Bad?

Beer, of course, is not universally beloved and there are factions of society who believe alcohol is intrinsically bad. Some think alcohol should be taxed more highly than it already is and others would simply prefer another Prohibition. Since civilization began—arguably due to the discovery of fermentation—there have likely always been teetotalers. But it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that an organized temperance movement began and sought to remove alcohol from all of society.

When these temperance movements began in the early 1800s, their initial target was primarily liquor—that is, distilled spirits or hard alcohol. At that time, whisky, rum and the like far outsold beer and liquor was considered the main cause of the societal problems the prohibitionists blamed on alcohol. When the Civil War began, Congress levied an excise tax on beer to raise money for the war effort and those taxes continued to be a major source of federal revenue even after the war ended.

By the late nineteenth century, beer had overtaken spirits in popularity and temperance organizations targeted beer as forcefully as liquor. But brewers at the time refused to take the threat seriously. That was because they believed their willingness and cooperation in being taxed meant that politicians would not give in to the demands of the prohibitionists. They thought that the government would never shut down the gravy train—which had become a sizeable percentage of the federal budget—that beer taxes brought into the federal coffers.

But as Chicago beer historian Bob Skilnik points out. “The thing that gave Congress the balls to enact Prohibition was helped immensely by the ratification of the Personal Income Tax Amendment [the 16th] in 1913. Without it, we would have never seen National Prohibition.” When they finally realized that Prohibition really could be enacted, the industry tried to launch a campaign portraying beer as a healthy beverage of moderation, but it was too little, too late. The brewers were also so busy squabbling with one another at that time that cooperation was almost non-existent and their response ended up being fairly meager and ineffective.

Finding a Voice

After the repeal of Prohibition, the infighting picked up where it left off, just as if it had never stopped. One reason for this was the same people were running the U.S. Brewers Association after repeal as at the start of Prohibition. The 13 intervening years had done little to heal their competitive spirit. But by the advent of World War II, the old guard was gone, replaced by younger, more forward-thinking men and the east coast/rest of the country division that had been a major obstacle to cooperation had also been resolved so that the industry could finally speak with one voice.

When the government sought to boost morale both at home and abroad, they looked to companies making “American” products to provide support. Brewing companies went out of their way to cooperate in order to re-ingratiate themselves with both the government and their customers. They devised an advertising campaign called “Morale is a lot of little things—Write that V-Mail Letter Today,” encouraging Americans to write to the millions of U.S. soldiers stationed abroad in the war. The U.S. Army, Navy and Marines all gave the brewing industry a commendation for that program. Other morale-building ad copy was used. A typical example: “Morale is a lot of little things. A cool, refreshing glass of beer—a moment of relaxation—in trying times like these—they, too, help to keep morale up.”