For nearly 40 years, beer drinkers in post-World War II America were conditioned to think the best beer was a bright golden color—clean and crisp without a hint of haziness, even at palate-numbing temperatures. A well-made beer was transparent and devoid of any sediment.
Judges at the 30th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver handed out medals in 83 categories in September, but no beer type received more attention than pale ale. That’s because pale ale is divided into seven distinct categories for the annual judging to accommodate stylistic variations and the sheer volume of entries.
It is a sure sign that the pioneers of the American craft- brewing movement now have more than a few grey gray hairs. Last year Sierra Nevada celebrated its 30thth anniversary with a special four- beer series. Brewers like Avery (18), Great Divide (17) and Stone (15) are closer to their milestone 20thth anniversary than you might think. Read More…
Trend spotting when it comes to beer is not as easy as it sounds. With nearly 1,800 breweries in the U.S. (up from 42 when I reached legal drinking age in 1978) and countless imported brands, beer companies are constantly engaged in “look at me” marketing.
A business associate once told me that the world is pretty much segregated by what it drinks. He opined that there are wine drinkers and there are beer drinkers, never bothering to account for those who might enjoy whiskey, gin or vodka, let alone teetotalers.
For the first six millennia of mankind’s “relationship” with beer, brewers were more like chefs than they have been during the last 500 years.
