It’s the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine — for this is the golden age of craft beer.
As the American Empire crumbles, America has become the capital of craft beer. The modern version of fiddling while Rome burns is drinking awesome IPAs while America declines. Soon, craft beer may be the only thing made in U.S.A. not China. Certainly, the American craft beer industry is full of the creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial wizardry that put the U.S. on top. Maybe President Obama should ask brewmasters like Sam Calagione for some advice on the economy. On second thought, “more hops” may not be helpful advice for failing banks.
These are great times for craft beer. Happily the term “microbrew” has been discontinued for the most part as there isn’t much “micro” about the craft beer industry today. Back in 1980, there were only 44 breweries in all of the United States — today, there are over 1,700. Each year, craft beer nibbles away at the market share of the giant multinational brewers, with craft beer the only growing part of a flat beer market. But is this growth an unsustainable beer bubble headed for a dot.com-style bust? I don’t know, but my advice is to drink up. Carpe beer!
Indeed, we may have reached peak beer for beer choice in Edmonton. Some U.S. craft brewers such as Dogfish Head simply cannot keep up with demand and have pulled out of markets like Canada. Other brewers find the costs of supplying far-flung markets like Alberta prohibitive. And yet, the Sherbrooke Liquor sign keeps ticking up, with over 900 brands of beer for sale last time I checked. Perhaps peak beer is like peak oil, receding into the future as new supplies are found.
Those supplies can come from our healthy Canadian craft breweries, most of which were inspired by the craft beer revolution down south. In 2011, Calgary’s Wild Rose Brewery and Kelowna’s Tree Brewing celebrated their 15th anniversaries. Victoria’s Driftwood Brewing only began brewing in 2009, but their Fat Tug IPA won Beer of the Year at the 2011 Canadian Brewing Awards. Locally, Neil Herbst of Edmonton’s Alley Kat Brewing noted his own debt to the pioneers of craft beer, describing a beer epiphany years ago on a hot summer day at a Montana pub. He tried an Apricot Ale from Pyramid Breweries and thought “Wow, we’ve got to try this.” Months later Alley Kat brought out their Aprikat Wheat Ale and it has sold solidly ever since.
An Alberta sign of craft beer’s success was the 2011 launch of Calgary’s Craft Beer Market, a big, airy temple of beer, with a central altar — a large oval bar surrounding over 100 beer taps. Operating partner Rob Swiderski told me that Craft’s success has exceeded all their projections and they are already scouting locations for a branch in Edmonton. While some of those 100 beers are Budweiser and other macro beers, Swiderski explained that he wants everyone to feel comfortable at Craft, both the Bud drinkers and the beer geeks. In the interest of good beer, I suppose we must all try to get along.
Back in Edmonton, the Pourhouse Bier Bistro on Whyte Avenue is working a Craft-style vision on a smaller scale. Pourhouse has an up-scale feel, with a focus on more ambitious food than usual pub fare and some interesting beers in the bottle. But Pourhouse has mostly macros on tap, as if they lost their nerve. Don’t fear the beer! Vive la revolution! The golden age of craft beer is here.
Golden Age Six-Pack
Six good beers from around the world that show the influence of the American craft beer revolution, including several robust beers suitable for the holiday season. All available at better beer stores like Sherbrooke Liquor and Keg ’n Cork. Happy holidays!
Alley Kat: Fresh Hop Full Moon Pale Ale, Edmonton
Full Moon Pale Ale yet again? Yes, because this version is a delightful tweak on the regular (excellent) Full Moon. One of the beauties of a smaller brewery is flexibility. When freshly picked hops showed up at Alley Kat’s back door instead of the usual dried hop pellets, Alley Kat rolled with it and a hoppier, earthier tasting Full Moon was born.
St. Austell: Proper Job IPA, England
A favourite stop during a trip to England in the ‘90s was the independent St. Austell Brewery in Cornwall. It’s a delight to see their beers in Alberta. This is a mid-Atlantic IPA, combining English malts and American hops for a 100 per cent delicious hybrid IPA.
Birrificio del Ducato: BIA IPA, Italy
I love the multicultural backstory of this Italian craft beer. It is an India Pale Ale, a style originally brewed in England for export to India, re-invented a hundred years later by American craft brewers who, in turn, inspired new Italian craft brewers, who exported this delicious part English-part American style IPA to Canada where it may very well be enjoyed by Italian-Canadians.
BrewDog: Alice Porter, Scotland
BrewDog has embraced the craft beer revolution with both arms, claiming their beers as “uncompromising, bold and irreverent — the epitome of pure punk.” Baltic Porter is an old style, brewed stronger for export from England. Here BrewDog adds their punk spin, using Sorachi Ace hops, loads of dark malts plus vanilla pods to produce a chewy, maltier porter. Perfect for winter.
Garrison: Martello Stout, Halifax
One can’t face the Edmonton winter alone — a solid, dark stout will keep you company by the fireplace as you browse the new Oxford Companion to Beer you got for Christmas. This black beer is reminiscent of chocolate and roasty malt with a touch of smoke and coffee. A perfect companion for holiday foods like cheese, roasts and chocolate desserts.
Schloss Eggenberg: Samichlaus, Austria
A real Christmas beer, Samichlaus means Santa Claus in the Swiss-German dialect. Brewed once a year on December 6, it is matured for 10 months before bottling. The strongest lager in the world at 14 per cent alcohol, beer writer Michael Jackson suggested it be served as a restorative from a wooden cask suspended from the neck of a mountain rescue dog. A beer suitable for an Alberta winter then!
Peter Bailey is an area librarian who prefers beer with his books, whether digital or print.