Friends & Beer Lovers,
I wanted to take a moment and share this with you. It's an interesting article about the Origin of American Beer by Stan Hiernonymus for the website CraftBeer.com... "Native Americans made a corn beer long before Europeans found their way to America, bringing with them their own version of beer. Although most of that was brewed in the home during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries a fledgling industry began to develop from 1612, when the first known New World brewery opened in New Amsterdam (now Manhattan). "The “modern era” of American beer began in the nineteenth century. In 1810 only 132 breweries operated and per capita consumption of commercially brewed beer amounted to less than a gallon. By 1873 the country had 4131 breweries, a high water mark, and in 1914 per capita consumption had grown to 20 gallons (compared to about 21.5 today). Then came national Prohibition... " You can read the rest of the story here... The story of American Beer is an amazing one and it is far from over... it is interesting to think of what we can see coming from Craft Brewers 10, 15, even 20 years from now. That is one reason why we are working with the Robla Education Foundation to create the new West Coast Invitational, A Craft Brewing Experience. We wanted an event that would focus on the Crafter's whose artistry you enjoy with every sip... an event that will bring together some of the finest examples of Craft Brew the region has to offer. If you've attended the WCBF, this is going to be a whole new experience... new layout, new breweries, a new experience. We are looking forward to having you join us on May 16 at the shade-filled Miller Park for an incredible experience for you, your friends, and your taste buds. Get tickets and information at WestCoastInvitational.beer BTW, last week I mentioned that Craft Beer was based on 2 million gallons production. That number was out of date... currently, because of the incredible growth of the industry, that number is now at 6 million barrels per year. You can see all the current definitions at CraftBeer.com Don't delay, get your tickets today! $95 VIP Tickets (12oz mug & 1 hour early entrance) and $40 Early Bird Admission ($45 at the gate). Cheers! Matson "Matsonian" Breakey Friends & Beer Lovers,
Recently a friend asked me an interesting question... "What's the difference between Microbrew and Craft Brew?" The question came up from the name we've chosen for our new Beer Festival... the West Coast Invitational, A Craft Brew Experience. I thought it was a great question and lets see if I can answer it here. Officially, the term Micro-Brewery is a classification defined by the number of barrels it produces in a year - 15,000 or less - approximately 460,000 gallons. But, informally, it was the term we all applied to the independant beer revolution. From Sam Adams to Sierra Nevada to every cool and unique brewery that sprang up over the last 30 + years. But something has changed. Those breweries are not so "micro" any more. Officially, the term Craft-Brewery is a classification defined by brewing no more then 2 million gallons a year and has some set limitations on how it brews it's beer. However, informally it has become the preferred term to describe beer brewed with incredible craftsmanship. Beers we could only dream of, using unique combinations, amazing ingredients and sometimes long lost recipes from the golden, pre-prohibition, era. If that is all a little confusing, let me keep it simple. Craft Beer is how I personally describe the product of every brewery that has been hand-selected to participate in the First Annual West Coast Invitational on May 16 at Miller Park. This is going to be an incredible experience for you, your friends, and your taste buds. Get tickets and information at WestCoastInvitational.beer We look forward to seeing you there! BTW, there is a great article at CraftBeer.com by Charlie Papazian, founder of the Great American Beer Festival, called The Revival. Cheers, Matson "Matsonian" Breakey EDIT: After this was published it was pointed out to me that the information here was old... Craft Brew is now defined as 6,000,000 barrells a year. WOW. See the full definition here. |
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April 2019
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