For Discussion: If Macrobrewers are the Enemy, then why do Craft Brewers Copy Them?

There has been a lot of talk back and forth about those pesky macro-brewers pushing in on the turf of the craft brewers, and jumping on trends craft brewers have created. But, interestingly, there have been a few moves by the big guys that have actually started trends in beer making and beer drinking that the crafts jumped right on and followed.

The best example that I can think of is a style that has been around for a while: the Belgian White Ale or Belgian Wit. This has been made for years outside of the US, such as Blanche du Bruxelles by Brasserie Lefebvre (since 1983) and St Bernardus' Blanche. Hoegaarden's flagship is this style, which they claim was developed in 1445. These have managed to use wheat as an adjunct ingredient and perfected into the normally unfiltered, light and fluffy, strong yeast influenced flavor it has become.

Such crafts as Ommegang and Allagash have some pretty good versions of this. The White Rascal from Avery Brewing I enjoyed just last night had all the characteristics of the good ones, as many other crafts that also make one.

But can't we thank their popularity to Coors and Budweiser for their own versions, Blue Moon and Shock Top, which blew the lid off that style in America? If this is not the case then why does my local microbrewpub insist on an orange in mine when they are serving one of their own?

Is this just the craft brewers saying yes, those exist, but I can do it a lot better? here.
Or should they be thanking the macros for introducing these styles? Or, on the other hand, have these American breweries introduced these styles based on success in Belgium, ignoring Blue Moon here? Then explain why every micro everywhere has their own version of it, see list.

What are your thoughts? Can you think of any other styles that the Macro-brewers have made famous in America that craft brewers should recognize? 

Craft Beer Monday Review: 4 Hands Contact High

In my quest for more cans for my collection I crafted up another Six-Pack from Binny's, consisting of 5 cans and one bottle. I got lucky with these, with only one being bad, enough to pour out even, called Old Fashioned Shandy from Leinenkugel's which tasted like a Summer Shandy but with nuts and maple sugar in there. Wow, a really bad tasting combination! 

But enough about that, let's talk about something good! Contact High from 4 Hands Brewing in St Louis. Maybe its because our summer was so cool and wet I really didn't get to enjoy the beers a hot summer usually provided for me. Besides only small amounts of Oberons, Gumballheads and SA Summer Ales I really was missing out, and I totally did not even see this one at all. Maybe it didn't matter, since some talk from some St Louis folks says they didnt see it on the Chicgao area shelves until august anyway. This is so much unlike the other summer beers around here I mentioned, since we often see Oberon early and often just about everywhere, and if not for the new Half Quart variety we might not have seen hardly any at all.

Wheaty and yeasty, but with a hint of orange, this one really does remind me of an Oberon, but it is a little lighter in color and unlike Bells products, it is filtered. But it has more of a hop quick to it than those others mentioned, which really balances it out well. Crisp finish but also a thrist quencher this one does the trick.

In this day and age when the shandies are being thrown at us from everywhere, and not only Leinies.We are seeing Radlers in grapefruit flavors from Warsteiner and Stiegl and Fosters and American beer makers which I try to be fair with with but they are just alcoholic juice boxes as far as I am concerned. So when I read near the bottom of the can "made with orange zest" I was a little apprehensive, thinking it might follow the radler/shandy path, but it did not. It was a winner and a really good beer after all. 

Poured from the can into a Pint Glass, rather cold.
CBC Rating: 5.
ABV%:         5.

News Item: Indiana Beer News-Clears up some of the questions we have had.

See blog here: http://brewerylaw.com/2014/09/why-you-should-care-about-indianas-problematic-beer-regulations-part-1-of-4/

Craft Beer Monday Review: Finch's Hardcore Chimera India Pale Ale

I hadn't tasted a Finch's in a while, since they are not so easy to find, at least on tap in my favorite establishments. They have always been loaded with hops, especially in the Threadless, but I have to say I was not prepared for the all out hop feast that was laid out for me here.


Boasting an IBV of 9%, the strong alcohol content exclaimed quite an alarming presence of hop, in a way that I would say I hadn't experienced since Half Acre Daisy Cutter or Bell's Two Hearted Ale. I'm not exactly sure if this is good or bad-since I have heard reviews of both of these as more of a harsher character than others. I often even put SN Torpedo in there with them, for its rougher edge.

Its description, (according to Untapped) states: "An American style imperial IPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade and Mosaic hops. Hardcore Chimera is then dry hopped with over a pound of hops per BBL. Ringing in with over 80 IBU's, Hardcore Chimera's intense aroma and flavor of passion fruit and citrus is balanced out against a hearty grain bill that lends to the beer's deceptively drinkable 9% ABV.

Even though it was a little too much alcohol for me, I still think it is a winner, over all.

CBC Rating: 4.
ABV: 9%.

Brewery Visit: Church Street in Itasca, IL

A hidden gem stuck in the back of an industrial park in Itasca we have discovered Church Street Brewing. Originally named for the street in Itasca planned for the brewery, these guys instead do it all here, offering a variety of beers available for sale in local liquor stores or there at the brewery by the growler or 6 pack too.

We were drawn here by others who had visited and mentioned just how small and serviceable the place was: it is simply the front of the industrial space that houses the brewery where about 6 tall tables with chairs are located. Their beer is served and sold in pint glasses or tulips, depending on the ABV, and nothing else. No food, no other beer or liquor.

The hours have been expanding lately but originally were only Friday from 4-7 PM. Now you can visit on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays too. The brewers and employees are around, as well as the owners. We sat and enjoyed a pint with co-owner Lisa Gregor, who talked about the brewery and explained the decoction process to us, which is unique to American brewers.

Their beer covers a variety of tastes, but remain the classic European styles: their flagship, Heavenly Helles, is a bolder flavored beer that uses, like all its beers, European ingredients, yet stands at 5.4% ABV. Also offered are its two IPAs: Brimstone and Fire, they offer a milder Continental Lager, and, continuing with its religious sounding theme in beer names, Heretic Heffeweizen.

My favorites personally are a regular offering, Tales of the Shony Scottish Ale and last winter's seasonal big hit: Pontificator Doppelbock. Both sweeter, carmel, and very little hops, but the
Pontificator packing a big punch with its 7%. 

New label for this winter

Its worth it to stop by the brewery. If you don't have a Church Street growler buy one of theirs or bring in one from a different brewer and they will swap it out for one of theirs (Illinois law). But they have quite an impressive display of all the other brewer's growlers lining the shelves too. I still see my Lakefront Winter one I traded in last year.