Without Craft Beer

As I mentioned upthread, I wonder what the American beer landscape would be like if the US "craft" movement hadn't taken hold.

I don't think we'd have the same options as we did in, say, 1995. (I think 1995 is a good marker to separate the first wave from the second wave of what we now refer to as craft beer.)

Why would today be different than the earlier options of AAL and some imports? Because beer came a bit late to the party, the party where food, wine, and cocktails all underwent a sea change in the United States. (It's occurred elsewhere--and perhaps just as significantly, if not more significantly--but I'm leaving that aside here.)

Without US "craft beer," beer culture in the US would still have changed for the better. I wouldn't argue that we'd be better off without the US craft beer movement but to say that we'd be worse off than we were in 1995 is unnecessarily myopic and ethnocentric.

 

reminds me of a thread started by a BA once wherein he complained that Fuller's ESB didn't seem true to style

 

I saw a comment about a year ago where someone suggested UK IPAs were ok, but that the whole style could be vastly improved by making them hoppier.

 

There have been numerous threads about German pilsners saying the same thing.

 

Let's forget about scrapple for the time being!

As for beer - of course people's responses/experiences are going to be highly region-specific. Same could be said for numerous topics that are discussed on here, from "What's the best DIPA", to "What is a reasonable price for a sixer of beer X", to "How far is too far, to travel for beer", to "Are store-imposed bottle limits on hard to find beer a good thing".

For me, what's important, is to give craft credit where it's due, but not to go overboard. But I'm not going to lie, I haven't been to Arkansas. Maybe it's a desert for imports, that thanks to craft, is now awash with great locally brewed Helles / Hefe / Bock etc.

 

...I wouldn't be able to buy 10%+ bourbon barrel aged, chile, chocolate and coffee added, overhopped imperial stouts!

 

Without craft beer, I'd be drinking mixed drinks.

 

Without craft beer, I would not be drinking beer today unless I had somehow stumbled across Chimay/Orval/Weihestephaner/Ayinger/St. Bernardus/etc., which is very unlikely because I am the only person I know who seeks out those brews.

 

Without craft beer I think the closest we'd get would be all these Belgian, German and Czech beers.

 

I can find several variations of JW Lees. They sit on the shelf, and are available year round when I go visit the folks in Illinois. Several different years as well.

 

Without craft beer I would have way more money. I would be at least 30 pounds lighter and finally I would be boring as craft beer is my one true hobby. I can not imagine a life without beer.

 

I would be drinking more single malt whisky.

 

I'd be drinking Belgians and British/Irish beers. And I bet Caffreys Ale would still be sold in the US. I miss Caffreys ale.

 

One good thing about the present era is that back before the microbrew boom in the '80s I often turned to German and British imports, which were great but much more expensive, whereas now I've got access to all manner of domestic craft brews that are even more expensive. Progress, ho!

 

You forget Michael Jackson (!!!), Burt Grant (!) and Charles Finkel (!).

What's so strange about this thread is that it assumes a clear delineation of a before and after, which was hardly the case. How are we to say how much influence MJ's books had on the pioneer 'craft' brewers? Or even their customers?!! Boutique beer sections in larger beer shops? The development of new hop farms? It was all part of the same continuum; and the smaller breweries of the day were even Eurocentric in the beers they brewed. So what period are we choosing to say it never started?

 

I'd be on a lower dose of my cholesterol medication.

 

Ha!

But, those imports are in much better shape these days, due no doubt to the increased awareness and competition in today's market. That's one of the best things to come out of all this, imo.

 

No clue what I'd be drinking, but I have a feeling it would probably involve imports and cider.

 

I heard a story that this actually happened to Fullers in a judged competition.

 

I'd have a lot more money and would drink substantially less. Although the drinking would still be a few glasses of bourbon every week.