Mark Dredge - Craft beer world

An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd

2021 Jockeys Fields 519 Broadway, 5th Floor

London WC1R 4BW New York, NY 10012

www.dogandbonebooks.com

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Text Mark Dredge 2013

Design Dog n Bone Books 2013

The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.

eISBN: 978 1 909313 37 8

ISBN: 978 0 957140 99 8

Printed in China

Editor: Caroline West

Designer: Mark Latter

Motif illustration: Anna Galkina

Picture credits: p161 ESB Postiljon by BeerSweden; p107 Tilquin Gueuzerie Tilquin; p107 barrels by MikeDonk/Brewbokeh; p177 Brasserie St Helene Black Mamba www.atelierdesign.be; p86 Tara Boulba and p93 Jambe de Bois Katherine Longley

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CONTENTS

PART 1

UNDERSTANDING BEER

INTRODUCTION

I have Theres a story at the bottom of this bottle tattooed on my left arm. Those nine words encapsulate what I love most about beer. Every beer has a story made up of numerous interlinking stories: the story of how its brewed; why its brewed; and the people who brewed it. Its also about the ingredients that were used and the story behind them: how they were produced and where they originated. Combine those ingredients to create a beer style, and that style then has its own history, whether it has been developed over time or is an innovative introduction.

Then theres the story of you, the drinker, who, getting to the bottom of the bottle, are more refreshed and relaxed, and also now involved by adding your own narrative to the beers storythat might be how the beer made you feel, where you had it, or who you drank it with. Whatever it is, attaching your story to the beers you drink gives them so much more meaning. Just think about the best beer youve ever had: I bet you can remember the moment you drank the beer better than the way it actually tasted.

Trying to cover the whole world of craft beer has shown me just how exciting, innovative, and inspiring the brewing community is. Its also shown how history plays a big role in the present. What Ive come to regard as the most interesting fact about beer is how its always changing and always has been changing. The story of India Pale Ale is one of the most often repeated, but we know the story as a soundbite of a snapshot taken at one particular moment. We dont see the whole evolving biography. Look at it on a larger screen and there are so many changes as it evolves every decade or so to suit new tastes. And thats still happening: think about American IPAs in 1993, then think about them in 2003, and then again in 2013. And its happening with every beer style on the bar; beers evolve with the flavors and inspiration of the time, although style names tend to stay the same.

Its that evolution which makes beer exciting and sets the premise for this book: what are the most interesting and best-tasting beers brewed in the world right now? At the same time, though its great to see all the new stuff, its also important to know what happened before because this very often provides the context or inspiration for new developments, and there are so many classic beers that we shouldnt overlook while spending a lot of time searching for new tastes. History, too, whether its being made, followed, or providing inspiration, is always there and always important. Beer is continuously progressing and updating itselfand thats exciting.

Craft Beer World celebrates the stories of beers made around the world. It celebrates how they are made, where, why, and by whom. It also celebrates the drinking moment and how beer plays a role in our lives. This is a snapshot of the world of craft beer. It shows a small part of whats happeningtoo small, in fact, as Im only sorry I couldnt get another 350 beers inand theres so much more to be discovered: so many new beers, so many classics to revisit, so many new breweries to drink at, and so many more stories to be told.

WHAT IS CRAFT BEER?

Craft beer is many things and cant easily be distilled into a dictionary definition. Its not just about good beer or beer brewed on a small scale; its not just about passion, innovation, creativity, integrity, or extremities of flavor. For me, its a knowing, thoughtful way of brewing and drinking, which is concerned with flavor, variety, ingredients, and story.

The Brewers Association in America defines craft beer as small, independent, and traditional. Small means producing less than six million barrels of beer a year (thats a lot of beer). Independent means that less than 25 per cent of the brewery is owned or controlled by an alcoholic industry member who is not himself a craft brewer. And traditional means brewing beers with just malt or adjuncts that add, rather than lighten, flavor. Its not an entirely helpful breakdown and means that some breweries such as Goose Island, in Chicago, dont count as craft because they are owned by AB-InBev (who also own Budweiser and many other brands). Goose Island is definitely a craft brewery, in the same way that Blue Moon should definitely count as a craft beer, even if it is part of MillerCoorsanother one of the worlds biggest brewing companies. It counts because it gets people drinking different beers, and works as a transition of tastes.

DEFINING CRAFT BEER

We probably all know what is craft beer and what isnt craft beer, and the choice we make when we get to the bar represents that. Here are just a few of my thoughts on the subject:

CRAFT BEER IS

about great beer (but not all of it is good).

made by small breweries (although some of those once-small breweries are now very big).

about intangibles, including passion, flavor, freedom , and knowledge , but also takes account of successful business practices.

about provenance but also uses ingredients from around the world.

forward-thinking and innovative while also drawing on history and tradition .

an idea, a marketing term, a community.

an educated and conscious choice.