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

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It's already been said, but this article is an example of everything wrong with American beer culture. If it's not hoppy, barrel aged or sour then it's no good. There is such a lack of appreciation and respect for the finesse and nuance it takes to craft a lager, not to mention the history and tradition of European beer styles. This article makes me cringe and this dude had no business writing it.

 

@Bierman9 -- is that you I recognize in the Globe story's comments list?

 

I'd say the author does have a point though. There isn't a lot of variety. At least not in any ONE place. However, percentage wise aren't something like 75% of the beers consumed in the US an American adjunct light lager?

 

Didn't really sound like he was looking for variety. Sounded like he was looking for his neighborhood local teleported to Munich.

 

Well in that case... lol? You don't go to munich to find the perfect American IPA. Just like you don't necessarily go to an American brewery to find a perfect heffe or rauchbier.

 

Have you been to fracnonia?
Ordering "Ein Bier" there can get you, depending in which pub you are, a Dunkles, Helles,Pils,Kellerbier, sometimes also a Weizen, Märzen, a Rauchbier and a lot of unique Lagerstyles which aren't easily put in "style" categories. Plus, many brewers make Ales and american inspired stuff there as well. And each brewery has its own take. One place like Bamberg hasn't enough variety???Come on...show me a place that has more variety while still having probably the best bottom-fermented beers you'll find anywhere.

 

But do they have places with 1000s of SKUs sitting on warm shelves and, to a large degree, collecting dust?

 

Nope, you don't.

Not "necessarily," but one of the great things about American breweries is that they often reflect the melting pot that is the U.S., and you can find good takes on German styles if you look hard enough -- for instance, Prost! is in your back yard.

Of course, you could always subscribe to Giesinger Bräu's Bräumester, Simon Rossmann's theory:

*Although, Jess Kiddin' might counter that!

 

Well just in my immediate area, we have Grimm Brothers which does traditional German beers and some riffs on them. Zwei Bruder which does mostly German Styles. Prost! in Denver is all traditional German styles. And then out in Greeley Weldwerks and Wiley Roots both make excellent award-winning wheat beers. So yeah, it can be found.

If it's okay for American brewers to brew traditional styles, why can't traditional brewers in Germany experiment with some American styles? It's not like they are just going to stop brewing Heffe and Helles all of a sudden.

 

Time to make some popcorn!

Cheers!

 

They already do.
So what?.........I don't get your point.

 

I read this article yesterday and the author struck me as a pompous, self righteous douche who I wouldn't want to drink with.

"Now here I was in the World Capital of Beer, Munich — where the history of beer goes back a millennium and tradition dies hard — to find out just how far craft beer has come. And to see if I can find a decent IPA...." "Despite all of the great varieties of beer I’ve tried so far in Munich, I’ve yet to find that perfect hoppy IPA." Crikey what a fuckin jackass.

 

This thread is in no way dictating what German brewers should be allowed to do, it's all about pointing out to misguided travelers (such as the "journalist' in the o.p.) that it's ignorant to expect to find their home culture half a world away and they really ought to embrace the whole experience of a new country.

Suddenly? Probably not, but there are a lot of people who would debate that old traditions in Europe are gradually being pushed away by new fads.

 

Interesting concept, but I think- we are save. I feel that in the next 20+ years, there still will be Zoigl,Alt,Kellerbier,Geuze,Schweinebraten and Volksmusik

 

let me get this straight.... Germany should throw 500 years of tradition out the window to meet the needs of some dbag who can't go a week without an ipa? what an insufferable loser.

 

So many analogous scenarios popped up in my head....

"...despite all of the great varieties of espresso I've tried so far in Italy, I've yet to find that perfect frappucino."

"...despite all of the great varieties of white wine I've tried so far in the Alsace region, I've yet to find that perfect hoppy IPA."

"...despite all of the great varieties of scotch I've tried so far in Scotland, I've yet to find that perfect hoppy IPA."

"...despite all of the great varieties of sushi I've tried so far in Japan, I've yet to find that perfect burger."

You get the point.

 

Yea its like "can you imagine I was all over Venice and I couldn't find any wonton soup that was worth my advanced palate?"

 

Come to think of it, I was at a strip club for a bachelor party last weekend, and I had a very fresh tasting Harpoon IPA. Overall though, since they didn't have the perfect hoppy IPA, I'd say the place isn't as good as my favorite craft beer bar at home.

I was there for something else too, but I can't remember what that was...

 

I'll bet the strippers couldn't even tell you the difference between an IPA with cascade hops vs. an IPA with noble hops in a blind taste test. If I owned a strip club, that would be required knowledge of every employee, including the janitor.

Speaking of beer at a strip club, funny story: Last year on the 4th of July my friend and I had wandered into a strip at around midnight after somehow splitting up from other friends. We'd been drinking since 4:00pm. My friend orders two Irish Carbombs, as he does at every bar. You'd think he would have noticed that they had no beer on tap, much less Guinness, and that the bartender would have told us. Anyway, she brought back Bailey's Cream and Jameson on the rocks in a big glass. Then one of the strippers were selling those super sweet drinks in a tube. I had about three of those. Throw in God knows how many more beers while were there, on top of what we already drank starting that afternoon, and I woke up with one of the worst hangovers I've had in years.

I'm 34 now and I can't quite handle those drinking disasters like I used to.