I believe it all started when I chose to, on a whim, pick up a Wheat Wine Ale during one of my regular trips to my local craft beer vendor. It sounded interesting enough and I was feeling risky so no harm, no foul. What I found was a beer that challenged my conception of what could be accomplished in the world of craft brewing. Not only because of its play on two very different styles of beer but because of this particular beer's ability to gently welcome a newbie into the world of barleywine style ales, which were a new concept to me at the time.
What Smuttynose has managed to do is somehow create a sub-genre of beer fanatics within their own ranks. What do I mean by this? Well, there is no doubt that Smuttynose has become one of America's favorite craft breweries. With a line up like Old Brown Dog, Finestkind IPA and their Robust Porter (my personal favorite), the craft beer curious have begun to migrate and the converted preach the gospel. However, within this world exists the people for whom these offerings are not enough and they demand something more adventurous, something the other folks just couldn't handle. Enter; the big beer series.
The series has become so popular in fact that they even offer a program that will ship each person who signs up for it a case or half a case (depending on your subscription) of all nine consecutive beers in the series. Each few months or so a new one is released and the truly loyal drop some big money down on all of the perks involved.
Thing is, Smuttynose isn't the only craft brewery that you may have heard of doing these big beers. Shipyard, a New England favorite has made a splash in the beer world with their Pugsley's Signature Series which includes the famed Smashed Pumpkin Ale and soon to be big hit Smashed Blueberry. Harpoon as I mentioned in my last review has dove into this movement with their 100 barrel series, which includes a wet hop ale that is out of this world tasty. Long Trail, which has been a name in the New England beer scene for quite some time as an "every man's" brewery has begun diving into the big beer scene with no apologies. Even Sam Adams, which has been for years, with the popularity of it's summer ale and flagship Boston lager, a craft brewery with a household name like popularity, has realized the importance of the time and place for big beers.
Every one of these breweries and countless others have had for years, at its disposal, the mindset and determination to introduce the general public to beer that distances itself from the generic taste and yellow fizz that Bud Light, Coors Light and the like have given them. To introduce people to REAL beer with big flavor. Many of them have taken a great approach by creating summer seasonals that offer more citrus and wheat flavors, which are both tasty and refreshing as well as being great session ales.
Now with the general masses in the palm of their hands, it's time for the American craft breweries to strike. The economy may be in shambles but craft beer sales are at an all time high and it is because of these small, local breweries who have crafted real, basic and delicious ales that the public is clamoring for more. To many, craft beer is what their hippy friend brings to a party. It's the beer that they believe people pay far too much for but they are the ones missing out.
Now with the growing popularity of big beers, breweries are able to introduce people to old world styles and a taste of history with a modern spin. So do yourself a favor and head to a tasting whenever you see one, get out to the brewery and try a few or just take a risk and buy a bottle of something new. You never know what the world of craft beer has in store for you.
Recommended Big Beers:
Smuttynose: Imperial Stout, Barleywine ale, Farmhouse Ale.
Shipyard: xxx IPA, Barleywine, Smashed Pumpkin
Harpoon: Wet Hop Ale, Oak Aged Dunkel
Long Trail: Coffee Stout, Centennial Red
Sierra Nevada: Ovila Belgian Trappist Series (Dubbel is available now).
What Smuttynose has managed to do is somehow create a sub-genre of beer fanatics within their own ranks. What do I mean by this? Well, there is no doubt that Smuttynose has become one of America's favorite craft breweries. With a line up like Old Brown Dog, Finestkind IPA and their Robust Porter (my personal favorite), the craft beer curious have begun to migrate and the converted preach the gospel. However, within this world exists the people for whom these offerings are not enough and they demand something more adventurous, something the other folks just couldn't handle. Enter; the big beer series.
The series has become so popular in fact that they even offer a program that will ship each person who signs up for it a case or half a case (depending on your subscription) of all nine consecutive beers in the series. Each few months or so a new one is released and the truly loyal drop some big money down on all of the perks involved.
Thing is, Smuttynose isn't the only craft brewery that you may have heard of doing these big beers. Shipyard, a New England favorite has made a splash in the beer world with their Pugsley's Signature Series which includes the famed Smashed Pumpkin Ale and soon to be big hit Smashed Blueberry. Harpoon as I mentioned in my last review has dove into this movement with their 100 barrel series, which includes a wet hop ale that is out of this world tasty. Long Trail, which has been a name in the New England beer scene for quite some time as an "every man's" brewery has begun diving into the big beer scene with no apologies. Even Sam Adams, which has been for years, with the popularity of it's summer ale and flagship Boston lager, a craft brewery with a household name like popularity, has realized the importance of the time and place for big beers.
Every one of these breweries and countless others have had for years, at its disposal, the mindset and determination to introduce the general public to beer that distances itself from the generic taste and yellow fizz that Bud Light, Coors Light and the like have given them. To introduce people to REAL beer with big flavor. Many of them have taken a great approach by creating summer seasonals that offer more citrus and wheat flavors, which are both tasty and refreshing as well as being great session ales.
Now with the general masses in the palm of their hands, it's time for the American craft breweries to strike. The economy may be in shambles but craft beer sales are at an all time high and it is because of these small, local breweries who have crafted real, basic and delicious ales that the public is clamoring for more. To many, craft beer is what their hippy friend brings to a party. It's the beer that they believe people pay far too much for but they are the ones missing out.
Now with the growing popularity of big beers, breweries are able to introduce people to old world styles and a taste of history with a modern spin. So do yourself a favor and head to a tasting whenever you see one, get out to the brewery and try a few or just take a risk and buy a bottle of something new. You never know what the world of craft beer has in store for you.
Recommended Big Beers:
Smuttynose: Imperial Stout, Barleywine ale, Farmhouse Ale.
Shipyard: xxx IPA, Barleywine, Smashed Pumpkin
Harpoon: Wet Hop Ale, Oak Aged Dunkel
Long Trail: Coffee Stout, Centennial Red
Sierra Nevada: Ovila Belgian Trappist Series (Dubbel is available now).
No comments:
Post a Comment