Has American Craft Beer exceeded European Beer.

One has to remember that America very few original beer styles it can call its own. (I'm referring to the official BJCP style guidelines) That being said, it can be concluded that American craft breweries are essentially making European style beer. Some of the few major differences are Europeans don't imperialize everything and don't age their beers in liquor barrels. Pretty much what I'm saying is America is on par with Europe because its brewing European style beers because everyone got tired of drinking piss in a can from places like BMC and Pabst. The only beer style America has going for it in terms of surpassing Europe is an American IPA and all its variants. Yes there are some brrweries like Rogue and Dogfish Head that fool around with odd types of beer but on the grand scale of things, America is only on par with Europe due to its quality reproduction (for the most part) of European style beers.

 

And even harder to hide them in crisp clean Lagers and Pilsners as compared to an estery ale of the same abv.

And also, on the sentiment that the U.S. can't produce high quality Belgian-style ales (in reference to the comment mentioning trappist ales), I'd say Ommegang does quite well - though I suppose they aren't wholly American anymore.

 

Obnoxious much? I said exactly what I meant. Instead of trying to correct a statement that wasn't wrong, try working on your reading comprehension.

 

Go Cali Common! Does Adjunct Lager count for us? By sheer volume we must make the best adjunct lagers eva!

 

If the main yardstick employed to demonstrate American predominance is in the realm of big beers I can't say I'm that enthusiastic about American predominance, which sucks, because I put on my stars-and-stripes jumpsuit to read this thread.

The reference above to the UK's many, many flavorful low-ABV brews increasingly sounds like paradise to me.

 

Jester King kicks Europe's collective ass.

 

This topic comes up every now and then and often turns into a chest thumping party.

On the one hand, American's are generally more experimental and they do some things really well. Hoppy beers and barrel aging come to mind. I really appreciate this and seek them out often. Sure, there some some very traditional and perhaps "boring" breweries in the USA, but the "crazy shit" usually comes from the US. Either there, or the De Molen, Struise, Mikkeller trio over here.

On the other hand, Europeans still do the traditional styles better. A Czech pils is great, triples and lambics are better in Belgium, ballanced low ABV beers are better in the UK, and wheat beer is way better in Germany.

Right now, the most innovative regions are the USA and Scandinavia, though the later was indeed influenced by the former. In the end, I would say the USA is more innovative, but Europe is still better with traditional styles. I appreciate all of it.

Jeff

 

There is an implication in there I don't really think I can get behind- that there are flaws lurking in many favorite beers here. That adage does tend to get thrown around a lot, but I believe it was originally intended as a a warning to homebrewers. On a professional level I can't think of any highly regarded 'big and/or hoppy' beer that is regularly hiding flaws- or of one that is even capable of hiding flaws. Diacetyl, dms, infection, oxidation etc. are always apparent no matter the gravity or composition of the beer. And (I may be pretty selective with what I buy, fwiw) it is extremely rare that I encounter a flawed strong beer.

 

Now wholly owned by Moortgat.

 

right, but i think we must try everything to develop the best beer. And if that must to taste and to declare the winner , I'm the first.
For me there are a lot of winner.
Sorry for my Cambridge's english.

 

Just saying that your statement of "trappist beers" is in fact wrong; trappist is not a style or type of beer; regardless of the country of origin.

What you're saying is that in your opinion, the only thing worthwile/better than in the US in Belgium is lambic and beers produced by or for trappist monks? What about all of the quads and triples brewed by other great belgian brewers that dont happen to have a little logo that says a monk made it...

 

While not necessarily a flaw, I would say that heavily hopped beers hide the general inferiority of American 2-row malt. I'd also say the relative inferiority of US craft lagers is due to their use of American 2-row.

 

Sorry is come from middle age that monks produce beer
I think monks have a little experience

 

European beers we equal brewed traditionally:
Imperial Stout
Sweet Stout
English Barley Wine
Porter
Saison

Some of these styles have American style counterparts that the rest of the world can't even touch. Add barrel aging to the mix, and the gulf becomes huge.
---
Styles we made our own and have no equal anywhere, Europe included

American Saisons
American Wild Ales
American Lambic-inspired Fruit beers
American Hoppy Pale, IPA, IIPA, and American Barley Wine
Fruit and vegetable beers
Russian Imperial Stout

Our future includes equaling and surpassing Belgian lambic-style of all sorts including gueuze, surpassing Germany in Hefe and Pilsener, and now that sessionable beer is catching on, in a few years the best milds, bitters, pales will be on this side of the Atlantic.

 

It’s not a war. Better beer either side of the Atlantic, everybody wins.

 

Yes, it was only a "war" when we were losing I kid, I kid. Better beer everywhere indeed = everybody wins.

 

I came in here to post this. Jack's Abby is a lager-only brewery and they have some amazing brews. Their worst beers are merely "good". In a very short time they've basically crapped on several different previous favorites in various styles (for me, anyway).

Dope

 

I voted 'yes' above, but I must add a big caveat. In terms of sheer variety, inventiveness, and passion, America may have a bit of an edge nowadays. However, the best wild ales and saisons are still brewed in Belgium, the best session ales in England, and some of the best lagers in Germany. Also, there's a lot I don't like about the drinking culture in America as, say, opposed to that in England (from the few months I spent there, at least). Why either/or? Howzabout all of the above

 

What does Olde Mecklenburg use?

When I was at Prost in Denver, the brewers had on the red Weyermann overalls, and there were supersacks of Weyermann malts in the brewery. After the 3rd Pils I said, yeah, that is really good. The Dunkel was too.

 

You have to have a special relationship with Weyermann to get the red overalls! Olde Meck uses primarily Weyermann. They recently began using Best Malz for their pils as well.

EDIT: have to get out to Prost sooner rather than later. I highly suspect they belong on that (very) short list of U.S. brewers that do German styles right.