MONDAY BEER LINKS, MUSING 03.31.14
– Firkfest 2014 Press Roundup./ I was reminded just how crazy big and different American beer has become last week in Anaheim, California. I walked through swarms of people in mouse ears and other Disney wearables, on their way to Disneyland obviously, as I headed north a couple of miles to the first Firkfest, and thus I might have been disoriented when I arrived. It was educational on two levels — first for the variety of choices, both from breweries I am familiar with and others seemingly brand new; second, you’ll if you visit the links in the roundup, for how many people may write about, and post pictures from, just about any beer event these days. Without restirring the discussion of what the word movement in “craft beer movement” means this level of participation does seem to suggest a “movement” of some sort. And I was introduced to still another blog, Cask LA Ale, which provides regular updates about what’s available on cask in the LA area. A big and different beer world, indeed. [Via OC Beer Blog]
– Drinking In A Place – Just Differently. As the following two links illustrate, I’m always up for reading about about place — particularly when memories are thrown into the mix. But as a point of order, from the get-go discussions about the importance where a beer is enjoyed have always been part of the marching orders here. [Via A Good Beer Blog]
– Rise of our regional style: Colorado Wild IPA. I’m not sure how I feel about the notion that Florida Weisse is a new regional style, but whenever I see the words “regional” and “style” together I feel compelled to pass the link along to Jeff Alworth, which I did on Twitter last week. Tweets went all sorts of directions from there. And eventually there was this . . . [Via Focus on the Beer]
– Beer Styles in Their Native Habitat. At the end the discussion is no longer about “Wild IPA” but a statement that Colorado has “a particular take on the IPA, which is thick and cakey and super caramelly.” Is that true? [Via Beervana]
– Beer Homerism, Beer Lists, and the Tidal Wave of Trendiness. “The subject of this post is a couple of current phenomena that have nagged at the edges of the beer culture for a while now and I’m fairly sure that my views on them are going to offend some people.” It rambles, but there’s something sensible about somebody who writes, “Don’t, for that matter, quote ME about anything I write unless you’ve got a little history with [me].” And I have to include one more sentence, “Those beer lovers who actually know beer and don’t obey the current Buzz are, even now, being forced to step out of the way of the roving trendies or be trampled.” [Via Seattle PI]
Is that true?
Yes. Yes it is.
I will look for confirmation next week in Colorado.
The whole “styles” thing (an obsession that is a comparatively modern conceit) has certainly become something of a joke.
The original idea as espoused years ago by Michael Jackson and others was an interesting and valid concept, but over the years it has mutated into something which is difficult to take very seriously.
Besides…in the end, there are probably actually less than ten true ‘styles’.
That’s how I view it.
Others can (and certainly do) disagree.
Jeff brings up a valid question/point. Do the beers of some regions share certain attributes? Sure seems like a lot more Oregon beers are cloudy. But as far as caramelly character (crystal malt) I’m not sure that is as true of Colorado beers as it was before more of the state’s brewers/drinkers discovered hops.
On whether beers of a region share certain attributes, very frequently they do. Not always of course, but often. A reason not offered so far is, apart from the fact that you tend to make something people are familiar with (thus reinforcing commonality in the region’s offerings), a given area tends to develop certain sources of supply. E.g. I’d guess that the types of hops available to brewers in Toronto, or typically available, follow a certain pattern of type and source. So the beers end by tasting quite similar. This is a natural and normal thing, but when it is taken too far (e.g. American lager in the late 70’s), a counter-reaction sets in.
Gary