American Beers That Rival European Beers in European Styles

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad was pretty good, I thought. Not quite as good as some of the Belgian standards, but respectable.

 

I love that beer and wish it would become a year round offering

 

This I'll agree with, it seems like Weizens are a little easier for U.S. breweries to get right -- probably because of the big, estery yeast. SN's Weizen is top notch. Now, about that Oktoberfest...

 

It's not all that easy to get in NJ! I have to go to the brewery to buy it.

 

I live in Austin and drink lots of Live Oak when out. Their German/Czech style beers are phenomenal! They are in most bars and restaurants here and some of the most affordably-priced as well. Their Hefe is amazing but I think their Pilz is off the charts goods. It's so full of flavor and has the perfect balance of flavor/crispness...I think most pilsners are on the crisp side. Additionally, you can't find a brewer in the city that doesn't respect the hell out of the Live Oak guys...I know the @jesterkingbeer guys especially love their beers.

 

Why does anyone care? And what exactly is the measuring stick? Traditionality and accuracy to style? Because if that is it, the American versions will lose. On the other hand, I sometimes like the American versions better because there are aspects of the traditional styles that I don't like. I hate clove flavors...so if I'm comparing an American Hefe with no clove flavors to a German one with lots of them (Paulaner say) I'm not going to like the German one better. Yet I'd acknowledge that the German one is closer to the mythical perfect example of the style. I like Allagash White better than most Belgian Wits because it has less Belgian yeast phenols.

Drink what you like best.

 

This is the elephant in the room.

 

Well, since it is U.S. -- and not German, Belgian, UK, or Czech -- brewers claiming in their marketing that they are producing German-, Belgian-, UK-, and/or Czech-style beers, then the onus falls on them to "prove" it. If they are producing, say, a 19th-century-style German Oktoberfest (that doesn't necessarily fit with what is currently found in the German market), then the burden of proof is on them to demonstrate as much. If they are simply producing American-style versions of these styles, then that's well and good. But that's not what they are saying in their marketing of these beers.

 

I think this is an excellent point. Perhaps this sort of thing could have its own thread.

As much as I hate the classification debates, this is one more that needs to be entertained. We have an American Wheat. Some or many of us know why it is different. We have American IPA. Same applies. I hereby vote that there be American Octoberfest as a style. Also perhaps American Helles. Or American Pils. On and on.

If they aren't going to adhere to reasonable guidelines for style, it should be noted as such. The common self-styled connoisseur will happily accept it as such and probably declare the American styles to be superior. That wouldn't surprise me.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy, but I'm tired of American "innovations" on styles being lumped into general style categories against rivals that do not deserve the insult of comparison.

 

Just wanted to reply to a drtth response, but it disappeared. Something about "German-style" versions of Czech styles. Hmmm.

 

I changed my mind about posting a reply. Its too late in the evenign to get sucked into a pointless argument.

 

So you are saying I have no point in what I posted? Thanks for posting so late in the evening to point that out.

 

No, I'm really saying you are in an argumentative mood and not interested in exploring the issues. Otherwise there was absolutely no reason for you to post as you did in reply to my comment.

 

OK. Seemed to me that your initial quick -- if less-than-well-thought-out -- response was more argumentative than anything I posted. Still, more than happy to wait for your exploration of the issue I raised.

 

Yeah, loads of great American style IPAs being brewed in the UK. Brewdog is certainly not the epitome of it all.

 

Is there a particular U.S.-brewed Helles you consider better than Weihenstephan Original?

 

Schlafly quadruple

 

Dancing Man

 

Yeah...you're just being grumpy.