Ask most people where the best beer in the world comes from, and they’ll probably say Germany or England. More worldly folks might mention Belgium. But ask a beer aficionado these days, and odds are you’ll get an answer that might surprise you – the good old U.S.A.
Just as wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Oregon are giving bordeaux, burgundy and barolo a run for their money, breweries from California to New York are proving they can make some of the best suds in the world. And they’re not just copies of the old European originals. While American craft brewers have proven themselves no slouches at styles such as pilsners, pale ales and stouts, they’ve also created some of their own, often bold styles. Over the past few decades, the U.S. beer scene has exploded. In 1978, there were just 42 breweries across the U.S. In 2007, there were 1,449.
“You can find just about anything being made. They’ve taken the best of every kind of style and put their own twist on it,” says Enright, founder of bartowel.com, a site for local beer connoisseurs.
We have some excellent Micro Breweries here in Colorado, New Belgium, and SKA Brewing being two of my favorites. And by the way, Polygamy Porter is a real product I tried in Moab Utah, and no, it wasn’t very good. Probably because it was low alcohol as required by the state.
OK so I posted a rather witty comment containing an excerpt from webmd.com.
Not sure why it’s not showing up.
Maybe the webmd.com text triggered the “too racy” filter?
C’mon guys. It’s a national publication. It’s not plageurism. It’s just a dang dong excerpt by golly.
It an issue currently being debated in the US Congress for goodness sakes.
I had Budweiser on tap when I was in Ireland. It tasted really good. I think they have to brew it different (there wasn’t any of that rice taste).
So many micro-breweries in the US don’t even sell their product in the stores. In the Bay Area? Check out Devil’s Canyon in Belmont.
Canadian, eh? Crap. Except Keith’s IPA which you can’t get anywhere. And yes, most foreign people on here are assholes.
Locally produced goods usually tastes and looks better when your money is worth 50% of what they were like 1-2 years ago.
American Micro-Brews are great. When people talk about “American Beer”, they’re usually talking about Bud, Coors etc, which are utter crap and an embarrassment to this fine country.
My two favorite beers are Harpoon IPA and Sierra Nevada, both of which are American, but not typical “American Beers”. I’ll take those over any imports any day. German beer is boring, Belgian beer tastes weird. Canadian beer was great when I wanted to get drunk cheaply in college.
Hello Beer sinners !
Having a US made Blue Crab Lager right now… Feels like I took home a case of the crabs… Switching to Chicken chicken chicken ale .
tcc3 said it best. There are WAY too many good breweries that get muffled over the piss that some people call Bud ( Bud select is decent I will give them that ) or Coors. i’m glad I have a bar by me with over 50 taps of all microbrews. support your local brewery people. And Leinenkugel ROCKS. it was the staple beer at my best friends wedding.
Beer is beer. This whole discussion reminds me of the story,
A guy runs into a bar. He quickly asks the bartender for six shots, straight up.
“Whoa” says the bartender, “What are we celebrating tonight?”
I just had my first blowjob tonight” says the customer.
“Well here, let me buy you one” says the bartender.
“Thanks but no thanks” says the customer, “If six shots won’t get the taste out of my mouth a seventh won’t help any.”
> Beer is beer.
Right. Just like wine is wine and food is food. There is a tremendous diversity in styles and craftsmanship in beer.