By K. Florian Klemp
Published September 2013, Volume 34, Number 4
Porter in all its forms may be one of the more misunderstood and underappreciated of all beer styles. Common porter was the dominant brew on the planet during the cusp of the 18th and 19th centuries, bringing rock-star fortunes to the beer barons of London and great beer to a global clientele. Porter was sent to the East Indies well before India pale ale, and it was just as revered in the Baltic regions as it was at home.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published July 2013, Volume 34, Number 3
Take a moment and raise your glass to the brewing revivalists, without whom we’d not be in such a great place. In North America, we laud kindred spirits Fritz Maytag, Jack McAuliffe, Ken Grossman and Jim Koch, among others, for rekindling that brewing passion. In Britain, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is responsible for revitalizing real ale. For a singular stylistic resurrection, though, see the efforts of Pierre Celis, who personally witnessed the demise and near extinction of his beloved witbier and single-handedly did something about it. Celis was a common and humble beer lover who sought only to bring back a piece of his artisanal heritage and sense of tradition. To him, that was represented in a simple glass of witbier.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published May 2013, Volume 34, Number 2
Our perception of extreme beers has changed immensely over the recent period of enlightenment. To many, the extreme has become the status quo, given the availability of sour, wild, strong and über-hopped brews. But the original extreme beer among revivalists in America was barley wine, a reformulated interpretation of English strong ales, tailored to emerging tastes and reconfigured into a distinct style.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published March 2013, Volume 34, Number 1
Those of us “experienced” enough to remember the beer wasteland before the brewing Renaissance cut our teeth on rather pedestrian European imports. Mostly, they were English or German in origin, with the odd Belgian bauble. There was no special release hoopla or festival hysteria, nor discussion of wild fermentation, new cultivar ale or barrel-aging. We beer hunters were happy just to see a nonfamiliar macro label, anything but the vapid status quo.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published January 2013, Volume 33, Number 6
We, as beer lovers, are constantly being introduced to the next great infatuation, permutation or trend as the brewing industry rapidly rambles on.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published November 2012, Volume 33, Number 5
In recent years, there has been a particular fondness for brews with “extreme” qualities. Intense hoppiness, rugged roasted flavors, wild funkiness and alcoholic potency all fit this bill. Sour flavors have most recently become a desired affection. Berliner weisse features a reserved lactic sourness as its keynote, the supplementary fermentation resulting in an effervescent, bone-dry beer, placing them among the most refreshing beverages, beer or otherwise. Rare even in Berlin, the recent general delight in sour beers has put them on our collective radar. Daring American brewers are dabbling in Berliner weisse, nouveau German artisans are reinventing it, and traditional brewers of the style are holding firm.
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