It's alive
Modern craft brewers are brave and getting braver. David Gilbert reports on a new wave of experimental brews from the USA and beyond
he United States was once a country known for industrial lagers with expensive ad campaigns.
Cutting edge craft brewers have helped to change this reputation by transforming the US beer scene. This shift in brewing techniques is a radical departure from the more established beer cultures found in countries such as England, the Czech Republic and Germany where brewers are often expected to follow age old traditions, instead of brewing to a concept. The US craft beer movement does not adhere to style guidelines. Instead, craft brewers are free to use their talents in more experimental, non-conventional ways, which has led to the creation of some of the most curious, flavourful, and unique offerings the beer world has ever seen.
A little more than a decade ago it would have been difficult to fathom the progression of experimental beers now being brewed in the United States. Craft brewers throughout the country are making experimental and extreme beers on a quarterly basis. Virtually every US craft brewery has a special reserve line where the focus is on brewing bigger beer styles, enhancing flavour profiles and where hopping rates not only differ from coast to coast but even from brewery to brewery. The craft brewers have created a niche market and by thinking outside the box are showing consumers that beer can be as elegant and as complex as fine wine or whisky.
This exciting transformation to more extreme and experimental brewing is starting to resonate with brewers outside.....
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By David Gilbert
Section : Beer Trends
Page number : 30
