cleveridea wrote:I love what has been happening in the US, beer-wise, for the last twenty years. However, greater variety doesn't mean better. As far as an industry it's going to take the US more than twenty years of getting brewing right after getting brewing about as wrong as it could be for 60 years to put meat on the bones of pride you are chewing.
Nothing wrong with some pride clever. We're just having a friendly beer debate here. Which I love, BTW.
Your inference to Europe's long history in brewing vs. the U.S.'s is valid, for sure. Which is why I would never take anything away from them in regards to their quality of this fine beverage.
My point is that we have been very fortunate in the U.S. in that our craft brewers have taken the best from all styles from across the world and incorporated them into our own brews.
You won't find an English Hefeweizen, a Bavarian IPA, a Scottish Bock, or an Irish Lambic. But you will find American versions of all those beers.
Now, I realize at this point we're still talking variety vs. quality, but we're in the 21st century now. Sure, the European brewers have several hundred years of experience on the Americans, but the industrial age began only ~150 years ago. While recipes may have changed a bit, the brewing process was relatively stagnant throughout the world until Louis Pasteur came around.
As far as the Americans "getting it wrong" in brewing. It is once again a matter of taste. I may not like Budweiser, but there's a reason 10% of all the beer consumed worldwide is Bud. They did something right.
Prior to prohibition, your argument would be valid, but I wouldn't take anything away from the brews our forefathers made either.
Due to a lack of large barley crops at the time, they took advantage of all the maze that grew here in the states and produced some very fine ales (and pilsners
). Last year I brewed a recipe from Thomas Jefferson that turned out quite tasty (and I'm not really fond of corn as an adjunct either).
I love tradition when it comes to beer. What's more traditional than an IPA? Spawned in England, but perfected (IMHO) by American brewers.
Steam beer is an American invention. Americans also came up with the whole "imperial" concept, with the exception of Russian Stouts perhaps.
Lets not forget the Great American Beer Festival. It dwarfs Munich's Oktoberfest and remains the largest single gathering of beer and brewers in the world.
cleveridea wrote:Iz Man wrote:The vast majority of these microbrewers started out homebrewing.
Upon what source do you base this belief? I can't disprove it, but it doesn't sound right. Many, definitely, but Vast Majority? I dunno.
C'mon, do I really need to list all the great microbrewers in the U.S. who got started by homebrewing?
One does not become a brewer to make money, trust me.
but the cost of a pint is far , 1.50 $ on tap and any thing you want in a paper bag to go !! liquor laws are loose in AZ. but you have to check you gun at the door 
