Extreme Brewing
Americans have a reputation for doing everything bigger and better, and its breweries are no exception. But is bigger necessarily better when beer is concerned? David Gilbert reports
In the early 1980s the aspiration of many American brewers was to create beers that mirrored the classic European styles.
As the craft brew movement grew and evolved, American brewers began to experiment and deviate from these traditional styles.
If we fast-forward 20 years, American breweries have become some of the most innovative in the world and the brewing pioneers of the extreme beer movement have helped transform the art of brewing. Today full flavoured, high-alcohol, complex and unique creations are a major part of the American craft brew landscape. There is a growing segment of the beer drinking community as well as single malt whisky and wine connoisseurs that have been converted to the complexity and depth of extreme craft brewing.
The United States of America is in the midst of its own brewing renaissance. While Belgium, Germany, England and the Czech Republic have brewing traditions that date back for centuries, extreme brewing in the US has only begun to flourish in the past decade. Styles such as double IPA and barrel-aged beers have been accepted by the craft beer industry, which has helped to fuel its steady growth. Now many extreme beers have their own style category. Recently the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado recognised this shift in brewing by designating new extreme and experimental beer categories for judging.
Extreme beer does have its critics who argue that these beers are too excessive. The doubling of the malt bill, adding once.....
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By David Gilbert
Section : Beer Trends
Page number : 30
