Profile: Craft Beer

I’ve written quite a bit about wine in GarlicPepperParsley, attempting to simplify it and make it more accessible, in part by identifying some good under-$20 bottles. Today I’d like to discuss another beverage that has been overshadowed by the wine discussion, but is close to my heart nonetheless. Kevin and I were introduced to craft beer several years ago by friends of ours, and have never looked back! Frankly, it would be a shame for anyone who really appreciates flavor to be drinking only mass-produced light beer (think Bud Light), something akin to drinking Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio as a sole wine choice. Yet, with craft beer sales comprising less than 5% of the U.S. market volume, it’s likely that many people are doing just that! The craft beer industry was born in the mid- to late-1970s in the U.S. as a backlash against the rapid disappearance of old-world beer traditions and styles from the country, as well as in an attempt to allow smaller brewers to differentiate themselves from the “big guys”. Craft beer is beer made in comparatively small quantities by a particular brewer, often in a microbrewery, brewpub, or even at home. The brewer uses variations of the main ingredients of grain (malt), hops, yeast, and water to create interesting beer with the particular color, flavor, and consistency that he or she desires. In this way, craft beer is a lot like wine. Though each beer starts with the same basic ingredients, the way in which they are processed and combined can make the greatest difference in the final product. Just as a winemaker chooses a particular type of grape, whether or not to include the skin, and which type of oak to use (if any), so the brewer makes decisions regarding the type or processing of the grain, the amount of hops, and the variety of yeast that goes into the beer. The results can vary as much as the difference between the lightest Sauvignon Blanc and the biggest Petite Syrah, or the sweetest Riesling and the driest Bordeaux. While a German-style Hefeweizen will generally be pale in color with a fruity and spicy flavor often characterized as banana- and clove-like, an Extra Special Bitter will be amber or copper-colored with medium to medium-high bitterness as the predominant taste. Thus, beers can range from the palest gold to the darkest chocolate in color, and can incorporate as wide a range of flavors and aromas. Flavors can include chocolate, caramel, coffee, smoke, cinnamon, clove, bubblegum, banana, apple, or even kiwi, just to name a few. Styles are just as varied and include Porter, Stout, Brown Ale, Pilsner, Blonde Ale, and the ever-popular India Pale Ale, among many, many others. Lucky for us, the craft beer industry continues to grow, meaning that every year brings even more great brews to sample. With the myriad options now available, I'd encourage you to find a beer shop or brewpub and try a few, both craft brew and imported, if you haven't. It will change the way you think of beer!

Some breweries to consider (products from these breweries are generally more widely available):
Anchor Brewing Company http://www.anchorbrewing.com/
Dogfish Head Brewery http://www.dogfish.com/
Rogue Brewery http://www.rogue.com/
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company http://www.sierranevada.com/