Breweries in America are growing at an exponential rate. Brewing is becoming big business with a resurgence of traditional types of beers such as ales and lagers that are paired with more exotic offerings. With a colorful history, the beer continues its controversial way of reclaiming the traditional role it has always played as an everyday beverage, while taking on a more creative flavor to please every palate.
In 1620, when the Mayflower reached the shores of the United States, the ship failed to reach its destination due to a shortage of beer, according to a passenger journal. One does not believe that the Puritans would have drunk beer (after all, they were Puritans), yet this was the drink of choice every day. People drank beer like we drink soda, juice, milk, and water today. Each tavern and inn brewed its own beer.
Only in modern society do we see that beer has a dangerous quality. There were no laws governing the brewing and consumption of beer. There were no police checkpoints to catch drunk drivers. How much damage could a horse and cart inflict? Certainly no scantily clad women prancing around at parties, drinking beer and impressing men with their soapy sensuality. Beer was an everyday drink that was drunk by all members of the household, from adults to children. When the Mayflower came along, people discovered that the natives made their beer out of corn. Do you wonder what beer was drunk on the first Thanksgiving? This may have been the first “Bring Your Own Beer (BYOB).”
The United States has become an international competitor in brewing beer and the country can hold its own when competing with other countries that are known for making amazing beer. US prohibition slowed things down a bit, but in the 21st century, things seem to be heating up for American breweries. According to the Brewers Association, Americans will brew and drink nearly 7 million barrels of beer in 2006. That’s a lot of kegs, bottles, pints, and glasses!
There are plenty of beer sites online: brewing magazines like “Yankee Brew News” and “Brewery News”; breweries to visit; associations for brewers to join like the Brewers Association; festivals to attend like the Barleywine Festival in Buffalo, New York; and contests to enter such as the Beer World Cup held in Seattle, Washington. Of these sites, about 85% are in the US, so the Americans seem to be in the lead.
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, beer was brewed and distributed primarily in the United States by large brewing companies. In the early 1980s, many of the states passed laws allowing smaller microbreweries to get in on the action. Big companies still do big business, but many bosses are picky and want high-quality, exclusive beers; they are the “yuppies” of beer drinkers. In and around any city in the United States, there are anywhere from 2 to 20 breweries within a 15-mile radius of that city, and the number is growing. Some states have more breweries than others. Each microbrewery has a family tradition that they want to keep and each beer is different; a throwback to the old days when two taverns a mile apart had two different tasting beers.
Breweries have once again created beers made with all-natural ingredients like malt, hops, and yeast. They produce traditional lagers and ales along with exotic beers that have a hint of spice, vanilla, caramel, coriander, and anise. One brewery, found online, uses rose hips in their beer. Typically used for tea, rose hips should provide an interesting flavor to beer. Lemon coriander beer can be very refreshing on a hot day.
We’ll have discussions soon about what kind of beer goes best with chicken or beef. We’ll hear opinions like, “Caramel-flavored beer would go great with that cheesecake; a freshly brewed sweet beer for dessert.” Is that beer good for pasta? Would it be better with a roast beef dinner? There are already countless beer tasting features. Is beer the new wine? Is there a “twist-glass-sniff-liquid-swish-in-your-mouth” process for beer? Like martinis, there are excessive amounts of types of beer. Perhaps the process should be sped up; Beertinis for everyone!
America’s brewing companies, found online, emphasize the importance of quality. They discuss the importance of tradition. They discuss the importance of returning beer to its everyday role played for thousands of years. This time, breweries also seem to feel that beer can be creatively flavored and still be in demand.
