Beers that changed America
Appellation Beer has a thought provoking post today: 10 Beers that Changed America. I recommend it to anyone thinking about the evolution of American beer.
It got me thinking about the craft beers that have shaped Minnesota. Certainly, Summit’s Extra Pale Ale looms large. I also think Surly’s Furious and Bender, both for their “extreme” nature and their 16-oz, 4-pack delivery.
Any other nominations?
July 11, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I’m too young to know much about beers before the arrival of Summit Brewing Company. However, I second your recommendation of Summit Extra Pale Ale as having shaped Minnesota.
I credit Summit with opening the door to other craft beers. Their location in St Paul had a lot to do with it. People had been wanting a beer to call their own and Summit gave them one. By offering a locally brewed craft ale, it also exposed local beer drinkers to something new.
I’m waiting to see what the long term impact of Surly is. The local beer geek crowd is very excited about them but I am wondering if that will transfer over to the general beer drinking crowd or if that will prompt others to open brewpubs and breweries.
July 12, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I think Surly has a good opportunity to carve out a niche for themselves as a purveyor of aggressive, hoppy beers, kind of like Stone on the west coast. I don’t think their beers will ever be mainstream or for the “general beer drinking crowd.”
I hope they’ll inspire others to find their own niche and support local beer diversity in the Twin Cities.
July 19, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I think Surly will hit mainstream for craft brewing if they haven’t already. Looks at the craft market trend and you see that a majority seem to prefer hoppy beers. If Surly had the capacity to distribute nation wide I think you’d see that it would do better then the likes of Stone, Three Floyds, Dogfish Head, and even SN.
July 20, 2007 at 8:19 am
I think it’s too bad that so many craft beer fans are drawn to hoppy and “big” beers. I don’t have anything against these styles, but I enjoy a variety of other styles, too. There are a so many great styles that simply aren’t seen or widely available.
I applaud Surly’s effort to use their brand to bring more people toward Saison’s with their Cynic Ale. I hope others will broaden their offerings as well and the “majority” will become more sophisticated by choose to enjoy a variety of styles (like what’s happened in the wine world).
November 25, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I started drinking Summit back when their brewery was still on University and I could watch them roll the kegs across the street to Johnny’s Bar. At the time, beer with taste was truly a revelation. Absolutely, it belongs on your list.
I’m also a fan of the Surly brews, but I always ask people “Do you like hops?” before they try them the first time (especially the Furious). Surly is maxed out for capacity now - they turned down the 8th Street Grill downtown when they wanted to add it in their recent expansion to 32 taps.
Still, I think we need a brew pub on the list, but can’t think of the exempary beer to nominate. Ideas?