My first book, The Great American Ale Trail, was a curated list of 425 destinations with an emphasis on great places to pack up and visit (so amazing breweries without tasting rooms of any kind were omitted). The timing was good, perhaps too good. Since the book came out in late 2011, the size of the U.S. industry has more than *doubled* and I can’t keep up anymore (who can?). As I prepare a new version for 2016, I have the unenviable task of sifting through what is quite literally a mountain of new options nationwide—breweries, beer bars, bottle shops, huge festivals I’ve never even heard of. I’m humbly looking for some help in defining the best beer spots, especially opened since 2011 (and not in the original book) that truly define craft beer now and where it’s headed. What would you add? What would you cut? I have about 100 new slots (and must cut 25-50). Let me know! Here’s the 2011 index, click “read more”. If you have suggestions, bring ’em on. I’ll be forever grateful!
Tag: best beer
Big World, Small Brews
Recently I filed my first story for Bon Appétit, for the April print edition, a long-awaited foray into the pages of what I regard as the best food & drink magazine. My humble one-page subject? How countries with little in the way of artisanal brewing tradition are quickly remaking the global beer map (and your local’s beer list), mixing Old World styles with a New World attitude. Here’s a 12-pack of the best.
ITALY
In 1996, Italy had next to niente for craft breweries; now there are hundreds, especially in the north.
Birra del Borgo ReAle Extra
An American-style IPA that drinks great with wood-fired-oven pizza. $18 for 750ml
Birrificio Montegioco Dolii Raptor
Aged in Barbera barrels, this lip-smackingly sour beer is molto refreshing. $13 for 330 ml
FRANCE
Beer is catching up with wine, as successful farmhouse operations in the north have sparked microbrewing countrywide.
Brasserie Thiriez Extra
The ultimate beer for mussels. You could even (gasp!) cook them in it. $10 for 750 ml
La Choulette Biere des Sans Culottes
This earthy, elegantly bottled brew is aged on top of its own yeast. $9 for 750 ml
JAPAN
The country’s genre-bending beers have found an export audience in the States.
Hitachino Nest XH
A Belgian-style ale aged in sake barrels and shochu casks; great with sushi. $6 for 330 ml
Baird Beer Angry Boy Brown
A strong brown ale with flavors of caramel, toffee, and pine. $5 for 355 ml
SWITZERLAND
Bold Swiss brewers are making Belgian-inspired creations prized for their edgy flavors.
Trois Dames Grande Dame
A Flemish oud bruin ale with a sour-sweet interplay and mellow nutty notes. $17 for 750 ml
Bad Attitude/Rappi Bier Factory CH2
This rustic, unfiltered lager is brewed with fresh Swiss hops. $6 for 330 ml
NORWAY
Vikings loved their aul. Today’s Norsemen are brewing some wonderfully idiosyncratic beer.
Nogne O Porter
Roasty and chocolaty: a hearty beer to savor on a cold night. $8 for 500 ml
HaandBryggeriet Kreklingol
Made with tart wild crowberries for the perfect thirst quencher. $9 for 500 ml
DENMARK
Farmhouse upstarts and “gypsy brewers” are stealing megabrewer Carlsberg’s thunder.
Mikkeller Wheat Is the New Hops
A wheaty IPA made in collaboration with Vermont’s Grassroots Brewing. $6 for 330 ml
Amager Bryghus Rye Porter
Try this one for dessert–maybe even over ice cream. It’s rich and complex. $9 for 500 ml
Finish Line…FaceSpace…Field Photos…
My first book, THE GREAT AMERICAN ALE TRAIL (Running Press ’11), is in its final stages of completion! What an amazing year of travel and discoveries…I don’t even know where to begin. Such an inspiring and challenging and rewarding project. Please take a moment to visit and ‘like’ my FaceBook page for the book. I’ve got a photo album going from my research (and beer field research going back to 1996 or so…) I’ll keep it updated on all things related—release dates and events for the fall, readings, spontaneous beer drinking sessions in Portland…that sort of thing. Thanks for your support….It makes all the difference. And please, follow me on Twitter too: @debenedetti.
Cheers!
CDB
Fall Back Into Place – With A Beer
It was busy summer, alright. For one thing, I spent about six weeks on the West Coast for various weddings, birthdays, reporting trips, baby showers, campouts, fireworks, kayak crashes, more birthdays. Now that I’m back, let me try to get back up to speed. For one thing, the articles: My co-writer Seth Fletcher and I managed to alternately delight and peeve members of the beer brewing community with our fourth annual Best Beers in the World feature in Men’s Journal (posted on my site, here’s 2004, 2005, and 2006). Our faves for 2007? Firestone Walker Pale Ale, Oskar Blues‘ Dale’s Pale Ale, Deschutes‘ The Abyss, Saison Dupont, Lagunitas Pils, Aventinus Doppleweizenbock, and, oh, about 50 others. We had a lot of fun this time, categorically speaking. For example: the best beer for ice fishing, with spare change, in case of natural disaster? The issue story isn’t on the magazine’s site yet, so I will do my darndest to scan it in soon. The story was picked up by The Today Show (clips require Windows Media Player) this weekend (OK, when the spokesperson refers to MJ’s secret inside team? That’s us), and I even managed to pull myself out of bed at 5AM to talk about the story on the WB11 (a local station), marking three years in a row I’ve been invited on. Of course, it’s all because the crew gets to stand around and divvy up the leftovers, which is my favorite part. Cheers guys!
CHRISTIAN DEBENEDETTI 