The choices we face as Americans when we go to the supermarket are endless. Our selection of food products is nearly five times larger than any other country in the world. Until recently there was one large exception to this rule: our beer selection. It seems that Americans have only lately come to realize that the word "beer" does not have to mean a light yellow carbonated substance with relatively little taste. We are finding out that beer has a tremendous variety of unique flavors and styles that come from all over the world.
This collective realization has happened rather quickly over the past two decades. At the end of the 1970's there were about 40 breweries total in the United States. National beers like Budweiser and Miller dominated shelf space and beer menus at most local bars and taverns. There were only a few hundred beers available en masse in the U.S. in the 1970's, but in 1995 the beer landscape looks quite different. At press time, there were 584 breweries in the continental US with at least four opening up every single month. There are now more than 5,000 different beers available in America, each with a distinct (or not so distinct personality.)
Many people think that the desire for more flavorful brew is a recent trend, but it is in fact a return to an American tradition that ended in the early 1900's. In 1873 there were 4,131 breweries across the United States, and it was common that each town had its own brew pub with its own distinct brewing taste. A town's local beer was a source of great regional pride for many Americans. With the introduction of Prohibition in 1919 with the passing of the Volstead Act, beer was in its heyday When prohibition ended in 1933 there were less than 1000 breweries in operation, many of which were underground. Prohibition had changed the brewing industry forever. An ancient American tradition was temporarily lost but not forgotten.
Why the Drastic Change?
The reasons behind the revival of the taste for craft beers is a subject of much debate. Many theorists claim that it is the result of the extensive traveling experiences of the baby-boom generation. After college many headed for Europe where brewing tradition was alive and well, and these adventurers discovered that beer came in a huge variety of styles and tastes, rather than the slim pickings that the American market had to offer (after pulling the Beer Hunter tap, select the "More" cap, and then click the Beer Variety cap for more info). Entrepreneurs such as Charles Finkel of the Merchant Du Vin Corporation realized that American beer taste had changed and beer drinkers were longing for more exotic and robust flavors. On this impulse he began importing specialty beers from all over Europe (with an emphasis on Belgian brews) and became an important player in fueling this consumer revolution. There are many different reasons this change is taking place and it is impossible to finger one particular person, event or factor as its cause. The current demand for more flavorful beer in America is a fact documented by the drastic change in the American beer marketplace. While overall beer consumption has remained the same, imported and craft beer sales have increased drastically (click Suds Stats cap).
Are the Big Boys Taking Notice?
The enormous beer corporations are keeping an eye on these smaller brewers. It cannot be said that microbeer production is a large economic threat to these giant companies, however. The beer industry is a $35 billion a year business. Microbrews only account for 1.3% of the entire market, which is up from .9% in 1993 (source: Institute of Brewing Studies). 1.3% of $35 billion is still $455 million, but can hardly be considered an economic threat. Nevertheless, large beer companies are stilll trying to become a part of the craft beer renaissance. Miller has introduced Red Dog and Anheuser-Busch has launched Red Wolf as they test the waters of this niche beer market. Coors has even opened its own micorbrewery on the grounds of the new Coors field . (click Coors Field tap) Smaller breweries have one distinct advantage: "on the spot consumption." Most microbrew is either consumed on the premises of the establishment, while if it is distributed locally it has much less time to sit on the shelves and age; most beer is unlike wine in that it does not really improve with age. There is a short amount of time (about 3-6 weeks after brewing) for a beer to mature and reach optimal flavor. After that the flavor goes gradually downhill. Large beer companies have alleviated this problem by opening regional breweries for their product which has cut down on the time before the beer reaches the drinker's mouth. Either way you look at it, the consumer wins.
BEER CULTURE
This beer renaissance has sparked the onset of a very enthusiastic beer culture. There are over 25 beer home pages on the Internet discussing more than you probably ever wanted to know about this simple drink (click Links & Resources cap) If you thought that wine was a hobby of snobbery, beer is now running a very close second. Beer has the variety and diversity of taste that wine does and its connoisseurs are a bit more vocal (click Beer Snob tap). There is even a new CD-ROM about the best beers in the world from Discovery Multimedia (click Beer Hunter tap).
The world of beer is indeed fascinating and contagious. There is a camp for adults in Fort Mitchell Kentucky called, oddly enough, Beer Camp. It is a weekend dedicated to learning about and tasting beer from all over the world. One of our reporters was lucky enough to go check it out (click Beer Camp tap).
When you realize how deeply beer is ingrained into the history of our country and other countries around the world, it becomes obvious why we are so enchanted with it. The desire for a refreshing pint of flavorful beer is not new phenomenon; it took a short nap in the middle of the 20th century and is now ready for a widespread awakening at the dawn of the 21st.
