The craft-brewery revolution is here to stay. The space has some well-known players, but a survey of popular regional upstarts points to a heady future.
A brewery and a popular brew pub, the Nebraska Brewing Company offers beer aficionados in Omaha a galaxy of choices. (Photo: Courtesy Nebraska Brewing Company)
Written by Bret Stetka for MSN local edition
Big-name brewers such as Budweiser, Coors, Miller and Pabst have dominated the American beer market for more than a century. But thanks to two Left Coast pioneers and a Boston entrepreneur, the beer business is far more democratic than it once was. Anchor Steam, Boston Brewing Co. (the brewer of Samuel Adams) and Sierra Nevada first challenged the U.S. brewing monopoly in the 1970s and ’80s. In their wake, other respected “micro” or “craft” brewers such as Dogfish Head, Allagash and Brooklyn Brewery helped permanently transform American beer with a more creative, hand-crafted approach. Now a new pool of brewers is out to further refine modern American brewing. Based on weeks of strenuous research and far too many pints, we’ve highlighted 10 young domestic breweries to watch, all founded within the past five years and offering tours, tastings or, at very least, frequent regional events. Continue reading “10 Breweries on the Bubble”
Citrus hops up front in the nose with tons of head, mostly pillow. SRM 2-3. Nice clarity. Head holds.
I had this years ago, and this may even be a very old bottle, but the flowery: rose, yet citrusy: grapefruit, hops are upfront… as they should be. Was not impressed before, am now so far. Guessing when I had it before my nose, my senses, were not quite as trained. Or… that was the “old bottle?”
Mouthfeel: slightly hop astringent, yet a bit hop sweet, slightly caramelized with firm, light medium, body. Carbonation light, yet just right. More would mask all the rest.
Taste: even into after taste sweetish hops and firm body without malt specific character: I’m guessing some Pilsner malt was used. Nice hop profile with perfect balance: I recommend. Grapefruit-like hop pop follows into taste with just a hint of astringency, as if some of the grapefruit rind was used. Of course: not, it’s the hops.
One site lists this as a “Double IPA.” More just a damn good IPA.
This beer has become a legend. I have heard different homebrewers, craft beer lovers and brew professionals rant on the holiness of this quaff. Honestly? I’m much closer to respecting that assessment than I was before.
A multi-hopped grapefruit sense grabbed the nose right up front with a caramel malt in the background. Freshness in the smell, as if hops were not “fresh” the the more recent green sense, just not old. Just right.
Pillow head that lingers, lingers, lingers. Great clarity. Light bronze/gold mix: about a 9 on srm scale. Head clings to glass. Mouthfeel a sharp hop pop that gently scrapes down the sides of the mouth. Hops dominate and linger, fading slowly into the aftertaste. Carbonation plentiful for the style and gives plenty of support to the already perfect body. Nice firm body, probably medium but caramel sense makes it seem heavier.
Taste: hops blend exactly with the caramel malt-like sense.
This is just about perfect for a West Coast IPA. The mouthfeel, aroma, taste and nose are all they should be.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It used to be that baseball fans would head for the concourse to grab a beer between innings, a cold one as much a part of America’s pastime as hotdogs and Cracker Jack.
Sarah Pearsall pours beer on her husband, Brad, to illustrate how the two former attorneys came up with their idea for Broo hair products.
ASHEVILLE — After living and working in sweltering Miami, Brad and Sarah Pearsall were eager to move with their children to the Western North Carolina mountains back in 2008. The former lawyers just weren’t sure what they would do to pay the bills.
Beer turned out to be their best bet.
The Pearsalls didn’t join the growing number of craft breweries that have earned the city the reputation of Beer City USA. If the beer is better here, they thought: Why not use that better ingredient for an organic shampoo?
Lather, rinse, repeat. But success didn’t come that easily.
“We thought we would brew our own special brew just for shampoo. It turned out to be a disaster,†Brad laughed.
Brewing a beer for a special occasion or life event is always fun. When my daughter was born last year I wanted to brew something different and something that would not only keep until she turns 21 but hopefully get better. I decided to brew an Old Ale but of course because I am me I needed to go “old school†and make sure it had a brettanomyces character in it.  I lucked out too! Wyeast was going to release their Old Ale blend the following month. I didn’t get a chance to use that blend when it was released in 2009 but I had heard some very good things about it.
I wanted to have a traditional base to this beer, but I also wanted something a bit bigger than the 1.090 style limit OG and something drier the 1.015 FG style limit (I detest sweetness in beers). So the recipe I came up with ended up as a Specialty beer…more of a hybrid Old Ale. Continue reading “Lil’ Nugget Ale with Brett”
Citrus hops up front in the nose with tons of head, mostly pillow. SRM 2-3. Nice clarity. Head holds.
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