Unless you’ve been under a rock, you must have noticed beer has become mighty popular in the U.S. I know, I know. Beer has been popular for a very long time… at frat parties, backyard barbecues, and among avid tailgaters. Americans have long enjoyed a brewski (just kidding. Who says that?).
What I’m talking about here is the craft beer explosion. Drinking microbrews has become all the rage, and finding a good microbrew before your friends is like finding a good indie band or catching an up-and-coming designer before she’s a household name. Okay, maybe it’s not that big of a deal, but it still makes you a cool kid.
Microbrews are crafted and sold by smaller breweries and have a wide range of diverse flavors to please your palate. They don’t produce mass market beer like Budweiser and Coors, but instead they’re available in smaller batches. The more popular microbrews are accessible around the country, but many are only available in local areas or even specific brew houses.
Microbrew aficionados become familiar with local brews, sample brews at their favorite local beer pubs, and seek out breweries when they travel.
I won’t pretend to be on the cutting edge here, but I do hope to introduce you to some fun and interesting microbrews that might be perfectly suited to your taste.
- Firestone Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA) Union Jack IPC
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad, CA) Good Grief Brown Ale
- Dry Dock Brewing (Denver, CO) Bismark Altbier
- Foothills Brewing (Winston-Salem, SC) Bourben Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout
- Short’s Brewing Co. (Bellaire, MI) Key Lime Pie
- 21st Amendment (San Francisco, CA) Monk’s Blood
Along with the craft beer renaissance comes the rise of the beer sommelier who, like a wine sommelier, is trained in careful discernment and pairings. There are so many things to consider when choosing a beer – style, flavor, mouthfeel, and much more. The options are endless. Serving a great microbrew with the perfect pairing at your next party will be a sure crowd-pleaser.
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