Due to a serious health problem which is requiring surgery that may well require 2 to 3 months of recovery/rehab work on the Microbrew Index is on hold.
I fully expect to return and continue with this project. BCNY'all
» Other Breweries & Pubs (1) |
Stockholms
Everyone has heard of Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Heineken and all the other big (Macrobrewery) names in beer but there is so much more out there to tickle the taste buds and satisfy ones desire for something different.
Enter the world of Microbreweries and Brewpubs with such names as the Mooses Tooth Brewing Co in Anchorage Alaska, Weeping Radish Brewery or Uncle Billy's Brew & Que (Beer and BBQ) of Austin Texas and would you believe Great Sex Brewing. Not exactly everyday names but many have big followings and sometimes can become well known outside their regions as witnessed by Samuel Adams beer.
Most microbreweries are small operations with annual production levels usually around 15,000 barrels but collectively account for approximately 5-7 percent of the total beer market. Because of their size it is not viable to compete in the market on the basis of price or advertising so they must compete by offering products with different characteristics. These small companies started emphasizing the freshness of locally produced beer, experimenting with much stronger malt and hop flavors and even revived new and long-discarded recipes As a group these breweries have had far greater impact than their market share would suggest.
A brewpub is loosely defined as a pub or restaurant that brews its beer on the premises. The history of brewpubs can be traced back hundreds of years. Today there are a large number of these establishments which offer beers produced locally but the recipe may not be unique to their business.
Some years ago, three Amana men decided to revive the art that hasn't been practiced in Amana for years - the art of brewing beer. Carroll F. Zuber and brothers James and Dennis Roemig dreamt of building a small brewery to produce small batches of hand brewed beer reminiscent of Europe's finest brews.
Their goal has been to create traditional European style beers while maintaining the unique flavor that is Asheville. The beers can be found in North Carolina, Georgia, and Eastern Tennessee.
Wine has long held a monopoly on the drink as a way of life market. Sure, people can be interested in different kinds of coffees or teas, but wine has vineyard tours, tastings, pairing dinners, clubs, committees – it’s amazing how seriously people take this grape-driven alcohol. The drink has truly become more than just a beverage, it’s a hobby, even a career for many people. And a good number of those people often turn their noses up at something as mundane as a beer drinker. Beer used to seem bourgeois compared to wine. No more of that, though. Perhaps long overdue, beer – craft beer, to be exact – is taking its place as a drink interesting enough to constitute a following complete with clubs, publications, and events.
This past spring, a special aired on a regional PBS station: “Craft Beer: The New Wine.” The special centered on local microbreweries and discussed the cultural shift in attention to “fine beer” in addition to, or even instead of, fine wine. Suddenly, there was an actual interest in where a beer is brewed, what flavors and notes are used, etc. The same criteria used to judge and enjoy wine are now being applied to beer. What explains this trend? A few reasons immediately come to mind. For one thing, price. As the PBS special pointed out, a good bottle of wine can run you anywhere from $50 to $300 and beyond. You can enjoy a unique, regionally crafted beer or even an obscure import from between $4 and $12. In this economic situation, that’s a huge plus. There’s also the simple fact that the micro brew is growing in popularity and production. Breweries are springing up left and right across the United States. Micro brews are more accessible and now factor in more heavily in our drink selection. Sensing consumer interest, bars are putting faith in local breweries, and offering a local brew from Massachusetts-based Opa! Opa! right next to the Budweiser tap. For better or worse, beer selection is becoming a status symbol, just like wine already is. For those who care about beer, you’re considered much more knowledgeable if you’re seen drinking a craft beer from Maine or a small town in Germany, rather than a mainstream brand like Heineken or Corona.
If you’re looking to get more involved in the craft beer lifestyle and go beyond just guzzling all the delicious choices, check out sites like BeerMenus.com. So far BeerMenus.com covers cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and is in the process of adding more. Beer-driven events now include tastings, pairings, brewery tours, and brew launches. The culture of beer is gathering steam so quickly that, in major cities, there is something happening almost every night. And these events are just as enjoyable, interesting, and educational than wine events. Who are we kidding? In fact, they’re better than wine events.
The Belgians are coming to Vancouver, but they’ll have their hands full when they get here. Some of the signature events at Vancouver Craft Beer Week will foster a little competition among European breweries with a centuries-old brewing ...
Gluten-free beer is a hot topic. For the most part, gluten-intolerant individuals have been left out in the cold when it comes to craft beer. Widmer claims to be one of the first breweries to produce a real beer that is “gluten-removed ...
You are reading Announcing Tacoma Craft Beer Festival 2012 – Bigger & Better as originally posted on The Washington Beer Blog. If you enjoy this post, consider following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +. It is still a few months away, but ...
The awesomeness that is Chicago Craft Beer Week rolls on. I have selected events that include two new brewery tap rooms, disc golf, and a chance to drink beer while tattoo artists work. What could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah; there's that NATO ...