Belgium is synonymous with brewing eccentricity and whimsy―its brewers’ penchant for unusual ingredients, methods and historical usage is still very
In his magisterial The Brewmaster’s Table, Garrett Oliver wrote that if he were forced to drink just one beer style
No discussion of European beer is possible without recognizing that all of the distinctive classes of modern beer made around
Gilden Kölsch: Straw colored beer with a grainy aroma. A subtle and soft kolsch that ends on a dry note.
If you have ever taken a wine-tasting class, chances are you have been exposed to the “Flavor Wheel.” This handy
Beer 101 classes are nothing new. Geared toward novice craft beer drinkers and even non-fans, such classes are held in
The Flavored Beer category has some potential overlap with Specialty Beer, and the determination of category is the brewery’s decision. Entries in this category are beers flavored with either conventional (fruit, honey, chocolate) or sometimes unconventional ingredients (chilies, peanut butter). The base beer may be related to almost any classic beer style, and the union of the base beer’s character with the flavoring element is a critical aspect of the beer’s success.
This category is, practically speaking, a catchall tasting for beers that don't fit neatly in an existing category. However, if enthusiasm for a particular innovation grows, an emerging style may come to warrant its own, new category, as was the case for the Imperial IPA or Barrel-Aged categories. Simply put, Specialty Beers may be flavored with or affected by unusual ingredients (ginger, chipotle peppers) or fermentation agents (Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus), or brewed with unusual fermentables (buckwheat, sweet potatoes, maple syrup). In addition, the base beer may be related to almost any classic beer style. Given the variation possible in this category, there are no established standards for appearance, aroma or flavor. Instead, judges look for a pleasing combination of the beer’s elements, and overall drinkability.
Most people would call it crazy, but the crazies call it ‘living archeology’: if material remains of our past no
The last decade has seen an arms race among American craft brewers and the weapon of choice has been the
