|
Below, you'll find extensive information on leading
beer pong rules articles and products to help you on your way
to success.
Characteristics Of Beer Brewing Regions In The United States
By Michael Briggs, Fri Dec 9th
b>Regional Characteristics of Craft Brewing. It is surely apparent to even the most casual observer that theselection of small batch, or micro brewed, has grownsteadily for many years. Early on in the craft brewing revivalit was widely speculated that the microbrew revolution wasmerely a fad and once over, factory beers would once again bethe only left standing on the shelves. But these smallerbrewers have not only survived, they have thrived andrevitalized many brewing traditions nearly lost forever. Whathas emerged is rather amazing. When you travel the United Statesand sample beers over a wide geographic range, patterns emergein the styles and flavors you sample. These brewingtendancies are based on the history of making in theregion, the availability of ingredients, and even the climate ofthe area and its effect on the demand for various styles. Let's look at some of the broad regions of the country and whatyou can expect in the general styles of beers. While thisexercise sheds some light on how each region has evolved, it isby no means an absolute reference. There are many wonderfulexceptions to every generalization.
North East New England has roots that run to the very beginnings of whenEuropeans first settled North America, and one of the firsttraditions these settlers brought with them was brewing. Many ofour founding fathers not only enjoyed a brewed libation, theyoften made their own. One of the biggest craft brewers eventakes its very name from a famous patriot and brewer from theAmerican Revolution. The microbrew revolution has not traveledfar from its heritage, and you will find almost exclusivelybeers made in the English tradition. This is ale country, andmost brewpubs even have the traditional hand pulled engineoffering true cask conditioned ales at cellar temperatures.While English ales rule in the North East, a few renegades areoffering Belgian style ales. These beers are very traditional intheir hops and malt balance, smooth and very drinkable. Midwest Many Germans migrated during the 1800's to the Midwest in searchof farm land and work in the booming cities. With them theybrought a long tradition of brewing cold fermented lagers fromtheir homeland of Germany, Bavaria, Poland, and other middleEuropean countries. True to form, this portion of the countrystill has some of the best lagers to be found in the world. Itis this part of the country where brewing survived duringprohibition and then blossomed after its downfall. The UnitedStates largest brewers are still in the Midwest, but they are nolonger alone. The selection you will primarily find herefocuses on lighter beers that have been cold fermented and offercrisp clean colors, the floral and citrus aromas of Noble hops,and little in the way of estery yeast by-products. The exceptionto this rule
is the amazing bounty of aromas you may find in aglass of traditional Hefeweizen, or wheat beers with the yeastleft unfiltered. South Settled mainly by the French, the south and Gulf Coast haslittle in the way of a brewing history. The very warm climatemade growing malt and hops nearly impossible, and fermenting inthis heat is unpredictable. As such, the South does not havemany brewpubs and Micros in order to define their space. Withthe advent of refrigeration, and the ease of shippingingredients now, there are some great brews beginning to takeshape. So perhaps it would be better to wait until more brewingtraditions have been created before pigeon-holing this newcomerto the brewing scene. One thing that is noticeable is the effecthot weather has on the drinkers desire. Lighter beersserved ice cold are in much greater fashion than the heavier andwarmer ales served by their neighbors to the North. Mountains The mountains of Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho are especiallynoted for unparalleled skiing. Along with skis, vacationersoften bring a hearty thirst worked up from multiple trips downthe mountains. Here an ever-growing brewpub scene offers some ofthe most varied selections in the country. It is almost like thebrewers of the mountain region reflect the many expectationsbrought by visitors from every corner of the world. Here youwill find German lagers, English Ales, and American originalsall served side by side. But one characteristic that begins toshine through comes from the proximity of the hops growingregion in the Pacific Northwest. here has a distinct extradose of hops that make them All American. Instead of using hopsimported from Europe, is most often embued with Americanvarieties descended from traditional hops of the world. West Coast and Pacific Northwest The West Coast is mostly affected by the very close US center ofhops growing in Oregon and Washington states. styles hereare most certainly American. The Pacific Northwest is also theheart of barley growing in the United States, so it is nosurprise that the density of micro brewed is higher herethan most anywhere else in the country. And every brewery orbrewpub offers many styles with assertive hops; in the kettlefor bitterness as well as large amounts of dry hops in thebarrel for aroma. Most styles are American adaptations of Germanor English traditional brews, adapted for the cool wet weatherand utilizing the abundance of local ingredients. While throughout the world there are literally dozens of styles of beer, relatively few are brewed in any one region ofthe United States. Each area has been influenced by climate,availability of ingredients, and tradition, to develop a limitednumber of distinct offerings. About the author:Michael Briggs is a fanatic and a frequent contributor toBreweryMall.
|
