If you're not a fan of American craft beers, then I'm not sure what to say - why do you deny yourself this earthly pleasure? Succumb.
The American Brewers Association's Export Development Program is again ensuring a bumper crop of beers at the Great British Beer Festival. Not only are there an unprecedented amount of American beers available there (and you can read their full press release here), but the Bieres Sans Frontieres bar list is also looking pretty spectacular too - you can see that here.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, I've also been negotiating with the good people who supply and organise the BSF bar, and it looks as though Beer-Ritz (my employers) are going to purchase a portion of the left over beers. There are more details of that over on their blog.
And while we're at it, let's not forget (as I did for a few hours, and so am now adding this on) that Leeds' Ever-excellent North Bar are having an American beer fest. Bar manager Matt says (in the press release that I've cut-and-pasted this quote from) “We’re expanding our selection again this year and hope to get more draught products as well as loads of new bottled stuff. Alongside favourites from Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island and Anchor we will have brews from Great Divide, Flying Dog, Odell, Stone, Left Hand, Tommyknocker, Green Flash, Uncommon, Moylens, Butternuts, Rogue, Arkadia and Oskar Blues.” Contact them through the usual channels for more details.*that's a reference to WW2 American GI's being 'overpaid, oversexed and over here'. Only not as catchy or amusing.
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I think as the blog says, having enough left might be the issue.
ReplyDeleteWow - that IS some list. Been hankering after Big Sky's Moose Drool for some time. Some breweries there I've never heard of, always good. Wow. Let us know what (if any) you get left over - (I know you will....)
ReplyDeleteHere’s a guilty secret: I was drinking a double IPA the other night and I suddenly thought: I’m sick of everyone and their mother doing over-hopped beers, I’m sick of having my palate rusticated and rumbled over by an over-eager application of hops (bit like chefs with their shovelfuls of salt). Lagers are the new frontier beers — Bobcat Pocock Pilsner, Northshire Equinox, Van Trapp Helles, Zero Gravity Masticator (the clue is in the last three letters), plus the craft (as opposed to cask conditioned) lagers of the British Isles (some of which are LOBI and some of which are not). It doesn’t mean I don’t like Imperial IPAs but all of a sudden I thought there’s got to be more to beer than this.
ReplyDeleteTandleman - you might be right - anything less than about 50 cases will have an adverse effect on price, although that doesn't mean we won't go for it.
ReplyDeleteLeigh - you can be sure we'll be letting everyone know.
Adrian - I felt a bit like that after my last trip to the US, and although I know what you mean, my most frequent desire is for a hoppy beer more than anything else.
I'm looking forward to checking out the cask beers. I'm such a square.
ReplyDeleteEd - you'll never consume 1000 IBU/pints with that attitude, young man.
ReplyDeleteThe future is American session beer.
ReplyDeleteI think Adrian makes a fair point but, not be about to travel to the US for beer as much as you chaps, I'm still well and truely an IIPA fan.
Chunk.
Chunk - I can't quite reconcile 'American' and 'session' - but if you mean that the future is in a 4%abv beer that somehow packs all the character of a great American pale ale, then I'm with you!
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