| Beer in America has been and is still in the process of | | | | definition is beer that is brewed using traditional |
| going through a transformation. Beer is shedding the | | | | methods, without adjuncts such as rice or corn, and |
| lifeless husk of the bland, the unoriginal, and | | | | with an eye to what's distinctive and flavorful rather |
| unimpressive for the glorious wings of quality, variety | | | | than mass appeal. As opposed to putting ingredients |
| and possibility. Since the beginning of the beer | | | | into their beer that mellow out and dull the taste, |
| renaissance in the late 1970's consumers in America | | | | everything a craft brewer puts into their beer they |
| have been looking for new and delicious beverages | | | | choose to enhance the flavors and overall experience |
| to experience and many of them have turned to | | | | of their beverage. The flavor profiles of craft beers |
| craft beer. Craft beer can offer its drinkers variety | | | | can range from crisp and light to full bodied and |
| with the different styles available; it can offer full | | | | heavy on the tongue; from the dry, spicy, hoppy |
| flavor with the exciting and quality ingredients it is | | | | notes to the rich, sweet, malty taste. As the diverse |
| brewed with; and it can offer new ways to present | | | | mouth-feel of the different craft beers is enjoyed |
| meals with the food it can be paired with. | | | | there is a symphony being played upon the taste |
| The thing about people is that everyone has a | | | | buds with a variety of flavor notes such as vanilla, |
| different taste and, seeing that beer is a very | | | | coffee, fruity, toffee, and nutty. |
| subjective medium, craft beer embraced this | | | | The taste and flavors offered by craft beer are |
| difference in taste and offers a variety of beers for | | | | marvelous by themselves but soar to new heights |
| the ever changing and exploratory palate as well as | | | | when paired with food. Craft beers broad range of |
| beers rooted in tradition and expected flavor. Since | | | | flavors, aromas, and textures make it a perfect |
| prohibition the number of breweries in the United | | | | match for nearly any kind of food, from a rich |
| States has blossomed to over 1,400 brewing over 60 | | | | blue-cheese hamburger to the most luxurious of |
| different styles of beer. The "Big Three" breweries | | | | gourmet dinners. A couple specific interactions are |
| currently hold roughly 95% of the American beer | | | | the balance provided from hop bitterness to sweeter |
| market and produce the same style of beer | | | | richer foods and sweet maltiness to spicy more acidic |
| (American light lager) with slightly different variations. | | | | foods. Similar flavors will enhance one another such |
| By the 1970's Americans had decided they wanted | | | | as the perceived spiciness from hops to the spiciness |
| something different and, with the birth of the beer | | | | of hotter foods; while other combinations will |
| renaissance, the explosion of breweries in the United | | | | complement one another, like roasty nut brown ale |
| States allowed a wider variety of beer became | | | | to the smooth creaminess of a New York style |
| readily available to the average consumer. People | | | | cheesecake. That being said, not all pairings go as |
| could enjoy the golden/amber color, the floral aroma, | | | | expected and that is why practice makes perfect |
| and hoppy bitterness of an India Pale Ale, or the | | | | and the only way to find out what works best for |
| nearly black, sweet smelling, malty, roasted taste of | | | | any individual is experimentation, which, in my opinion, |
| a Porter. The flavor profiles of these beers were | | | | can be the best part! |
| something never experienced before by the average | | | | As one can see the world of beer has so much to |
| American considering that all they had been exposed | | | | offer and is certainly more interesting then the bland, |
| to prior to this have been the bland, watery, pseudo | | | | yellowish, fizzy liquid most Americans are used to. |
| lager flavors of what the big three had to offer. | | | | With the variety, quality, and food pairing possibilities |
| The flavorless ubiquity of the big three breweries | | | | available from craft beers, let us raise a toast to |
| comes from the corn, rice, and other adjuncts they | | | | continually expanding our horizons and trying new |
| put in their brews which does absolutely nothing to | | | | things! Cheers! |
| expand the flavor of their beer. Craft beer by | | | | |
