"Maybe it takes Americans to make a good German beer.."

I think you would find differing opinions in Germany about the state of beer as well. To your point, I was visiting my uncle in Wuerzberg last year and having a conversation about beer. He asked why I was spending my entire vacation based in Bamberg and I responded that it has many of my favorite beers all within reasonable walking distance. He opined that the best beer in Germany wasn't from Bavaria at all, and that I should seek out Jever. Different strokes I suppose.

 

I was at Portland in 1993 for the NHC. Used to get Beers Across America, too back then, but I stopped because they weren't sending out much variety. Maybe late 90's for the brewpubs you're talking about.

 

You can find Jever in Bamberg. That's the only place I've had it. One of the people in my group wanted to try it.

 

2 ships in the night! Do you remember Jim Koch breaking out that keg of the Triple Bock? Bleah.

Exactly why I stopped -- I'd my fill of Pale Ale. They then talked me into a specialty program, something with .5 liter bottles or the like. Quit that too and wound up trying out the Jackson sanctioned subscription that mixed beers from all over the world -- wasn't bad, but that didn't last for me either.

Well, Sieben's and Tap & Growler were mid to late 80s, right about the same time as Goose Island. Then there was Hop Cat that was in the same building (IIRC) as Chicago Brewing -- not to mention Baderbräu.

Hard to keep track of the brew-pubs that came and went in the suburbs. First one I went to was in Kenosha, WI around 1987: Brewmasters. Made fast friends with the owner and brewmasters (who started my local home-brew club) and often helped with the brewing. Guys liked German and English styles so there was always a big variety.

 

I'm having déjà vu - haven't we pretty much covered most of this in the German craft beer thread?

Anyway... the feeling that I am getting from a lot of Germans in certain forums is that they are happy to finally have OPTIONS. I realize that Germans start-ups are probably brewing lower quality as the case was in the US only a few years ago, but if you ask me, the competition nowadays is brutal (at least here in CA). Lots of VERY good beer on the shelves, and their is less and less tolerance for average/above average beers nowadays.

 

It could very well be different in California, but most of the beer I see on shelves around here is redundant -- at worst, mediocre -- at best.

 

Missed that. My best memory of that event was meeting Michael Jackson. Twice actually. The second time I was standing in line at the Oregon Brewers Festival (which was the weekend after the conference) and the guy behind me asked me what I was drinking. I turned around and it was Micheal Jackson! So I told him what I was drinking and my opinion of it. When the next edition of his pocket guide to beers came out, my comments were in there, pretty much verbatim. I was thrilled. IIRC, the beer was Bridgeport's Pintail which was their festival beer.

I don't remember most of those. Of course, GI was around and IIRC, there was another brewery with Prairie in the name. Then some brewpub around Schaumberg with Rose in the name.

 

I signed up early for the "Sensory Tasting Seminar," or somesuch -- got to sit in a room with other enthusiasts while MJ, Fred Eckhardt, and Charlie Papazian guided us through blind tastings of a ton of different beers. Was pretty fun.

I also remember that was the first time I ever saw bars with about 30 or 40 tap-handles on the back walls behind the bars -- was impressive.

Prairie Rock in Elgin and Millrose in Barrington -- hit both a few times. I think they're both still around, but I don't think they brew anymore.

There were so many smaller brew-pubs that opened and closed so fast that it was hard to keep track.

 

Prairie Rock wasn't the one I was thinking of. There was another that was a distributing brewery, I remember having their beer at Navy Pier. Maybe it didn't have Prairie in it after all.

Edit - did a search - Golden Prairie Brewing - opened in 1993. BTW Hopcat opened in 1998.

 

Hmm. Have to think on it some. Can't remember if Chicago Brewing had anything with Prairie in the name -- maybe their Weizen?

Hah. Now you sound like me.

 

See my edit!

 

Definitely do not remember Golden Prairie. Wonder where it was?

Where did you find info on Hopcat? All I get is news about the Michigan pub coming to Chicago.

 

Found this great archived Tribune article that addresses some of what we've been discussing.

Great quote from Ray Daniels from the day:

 

See section 3 in this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breweries_in_Illinois

 

Thanks -- couldn't get past the chart.

This also answers some of the other questions I was struggling with -- strolling down Memory Lane with it.

 

You don't happen to recall Deschutes' entry for the festival that year, do you?

 

Not a clue.

 

I bring it up because it seems to touch on some of the issues in this thread. It was a "kolsch"; fairly aromatic with American late hop additions. Or, as much a Kolsch as Dead Guy is a Maibock.

Now, brewing a hoppy ale in that gravity range, perhaps with 5% wheat malt, and then fermenting it with kolsch yeast and cold conditioning it does make for a tasty and easy drinking beverage (just ask fans of Carton Boat Beer), but if I brewed one I'd sure as hell not call it a Kolsch. That sort of implies that you think you've only tweaked the recipe, when you have actually fundamentally misunderstood the whole appeal of the style in the first place.

 

And this idiocy is the exact reason why I'm no longer active here...

 

Now sometimes think that German beer benefits from a little home court advantage. It's not always as good as everyone makes it out to be. Or I should say, there are some bad ones, and not every one you drink is a 10/10.

That being said, this "article" is just dumb.

"Confession time: I have never loved German beer." OK then, let me listen to your opinion on German beer . . .