Americans - a bunch of Germans?

[Japher]

excpet the non-white ones

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Oerdin


You must have some really crap microbreweries in your neck of the woods.

All the Micros on this side of the country seem to focus on English beers. The same is true of the larger, nation wide Micro breweries (like Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, and Widmer Brothers). Widmer does make a Hefeweizen, but it is a rather pathetic attempt at one.

[Dinner]

First of all "steam beer" is a distinctly American style ale and not a British style. Has been since the 1860's. Same goes for the "West Coast Pale Ale" that breweries like Sierra Neveda popularized. It is much hoppier and slightly darker in color then your average English Pale Ale and so is distinctly different. As for Widmer, unless you live in Oregon the only beer you can typically find from them is a hefeweizen which is, as you admit, a German style and not an English style. French Saissons, Belgian Whites, Belgian Trapists, German Dunkles, German Alt, German Maibock, and German Kolch are every where. At a good brewery you can find everything under the sun and let's not forget that Czech Pilsner beer is the single most common beer in the US.

[Japher]

I hate Hefeweizen. I don't know why, I just can't stand it. Even Pale Ales bother me.

I feel so left out. Especially since a lot of the microbrews make crap lagers. Though Fat Tire ain't bad.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Oerdin
French Saissons, Belgian Whites, Belgian Trapists, German Dunkles, German Alt, German Maibock, and German Kolch are every where. At a good brewery you can find everything under the sun and let's not forget that Czech Pilsner beer is the single most common beer in the US.

I spend most of my time in Virginia and Maryland, and my Microbrew experience has been completely different than yours. The popular microbreweries in my area (Legend and St. George's) focus almost exclusively on English styles: IPA, Brown Ale, Porter, and Stout. The beer stores (even the well stocked ones) rarely carry German-style micros (except for during Oktoberfest, when you can find the occasional American Märzen). The major west coast Micros here are those I mentioned. Stone brewery is also popular. Stone's beer is very good, but it's definately English inspired. There are a few other micros that are relatively easy to find around here, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. I've yet to find an American Doppelbock, Kölsch, Rauchbier, or Alt.

Maybe it's just local tastes, but I've always been under the impression that America microbreweries predominately brewed IPAs, Browns, Porters, Stouts, along with generic Lagers and Pilsners. Maybe I should take a west caost beer tour.


-Though American IPA is disguishable from English IPA, it is still English IPA inspired, definately not German inspired.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Odin
Southern Minnesota is so full of South Germans it's scary. I swear there are German flags on every other street corner in New Ulm.

There are probably more houses flying German flags in the US than there are in Germany.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Wycoff


I spend most of my time in Virginia and Maryland, and my Microbrew experience has been completely different than yours. The popular microbreweries in my area (Legend and St. George's) focus almost exclusively on English styles: IPA, Brown Ale, Porter, and Stout. The beer stores (even the well stocked ones) rarely carry German-style micros (except for during Oktoberfest, when you can find the occasional American Märzen). The major west coast Micros here are those I mentioned. Stone brewery is also popular. Stone's beer is very good, but it's definately English inspired. There are a few other micros that are relatively easy to find around here, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. I've yet to find an American Doppelbock, Kölsch, Rauchbier, or Alt.

Maybe it's just local tastes, but I've always been under the impression that America microbreweries predominately brewed IPAs, Browns, Porters, Stouts, along with generic Lagers and Pilsners. Maybe I should take a west caost beer tour.


-Though American IPA is disguishable from English IPA, it is still English IPA inspired, definately not German inspired.

wycoff, ever to go Bilbo Baggins Restraurant in Old town Alex? I dont know nearly as much about beer as the folks discussing it here, but they sure seem to me to have a pretty broad selection of interesting microebrews.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
wycoff, ever to go Bilbo Baggins Restraurant in Old town Alex?

No, I'm in Southern Virginia. Thanks for the tip, though. I'll try it next time I travel up that way.

[lord of the mark]

http://www.bilbobaggins.net/Beer.html

[Dis]

So what are some good german beers?

The only reason I drink English beer is because it's easy to find in Las Vegas. I'm not sure of the availability of german beers (on tap).

And don't recommend Beck's. That's horrible tasting beer. I prefer something smooth and dark- like Newcastle Brown Ale.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Dis
So what are some good german beers?

The only reason I drink English beer is because it's easy to find in Las Vegas. I'm not sure of the availability of german beers (on tap).

And don't recommend Beck's. That's horrible tasting beer. I prefer something smooth and dark- like Newcastle Brown Ale.

Beers like Becks and St. Pauli Girl are basically Germany's Macrobreweries... their equivalent to Bud or Coors. When you hear people talking about how good German beer is, they're not talking about Becks.

There are dozens of different German styles, and I can't think of any that taste much like Brown Ale (Maybe Oerdin knows of some).

I like Hefeweizens and Doppelbocks. These styles are most likely very different than anything that you've ever had.

Some of my favorite German brewers are Weihenstephaner, Ayinger, Paulaner München, Franziskaner-Spaten, Erdinger, and Schneider & Sohn.

These are all Bavarian brewers, and they all produce many different styles. If you want a beer that is quality but with a more familiar taste, then I would try a lager or pilsner from these brewers. If you are more adventurous, then go for the Hefeweizen or the Doppelbocks.

You should also try Kölsch beer. Kölsch beers are Köln's specialty, and they're more like Pilsners. Gaffel Kölsch probably wouldn't be too hard to find.

I don't know what else to recommend. As I said, I prefer Hefeweizens and Doppelbocks, so I'm much more familiar with Bavarian beers than beers from other parts of Germany. Maybe some Germans can recommend non-Bavarian beer.

[Straybow]

I saw somewhere that about 70% of the US population have at least partial German heritage, all others less than 50%.

I'm German, English, Scots, and Irish. I think there is an Italian ancestor about 400 years ago, but I don't count that any more than I'd count Norman ancestors as French or Norse.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Wycoff
You should also try Kölsch beer. Kölsch beers are Köln's specialty, and they're more like Pilsners. Gaffel Kölsch probably wouldn't be too hard to find.

Of course you shouldn´t merntion this in presence of people from Düsseldorf

There has always been a strong rivalry between the cities of Köln and Düsseldorf.
This is also refelcted in their taste of beer. Köln is the major producer of Kölsch-Beer whereas Düsseldorf is the major producer of Alt-Beer and you should never ever try to order an Alt iin Köln or a Kölsch in Düsseldorf

I personally (not coming from Düsseldorf or Köln, but living near both cities) prefer Alt, as it has a much stronger taste than Kölsch.

[DanS]

Alt's a lot better than Kolsch, to my tastes. Capital City Brewing has both a Kolsch and an Alt on tap. But best of all is the Porter.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by DanS


Apparently you've never been to Germany.

Apparently I haven't.