Clive’s Little Jaunt to the Big Country

Think of the USA and most people thinks of the usual suspects Budweiser, Miller and Coors, but there’s much more to American beers than that.

The USA has the highest number of breweries per head of population of any country in the world (including the UK). Unlike the UK most American micros brew the entire spectrum from pilsners to porters and stouts. The diverse ancestry of the American population with large numbers of people descended from big beer brewing nations such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland certainly helps.

I recently went on holiday to the USA and was fortunate enough to sample a few beers I wouldn’t get back home. I went to two brew pubs; one of which was the Boston Beer Works; unsurprisingly in Boston. This brewpub was pitched at the younger end of the age range. It was large, noisy and full of chrome fittings, but having traipsed the streets of Boston, getting drenched in the rain, the site of 15 hand pumps was certainly welcome. The line-up included two stouts, a pumpkin ale (it was close to Halloween), a Canadian-Style golden ale, a blueberry ale, a kolsch, an alt and a red ale. In addition to these beers it even boasts championship billiard tables.

Being in Kennebunkport, Maine (which virtually closes in the autumn) on a Sunday lunchtime, I fortuitously discovered that the best restaurant that was still open is owned by the local microbrewery. I had the 4.88% (very precise)  Blue Fin Stout (I have a bias towards stouts) and the 3.8% Goat Island Light. They also brew a Canadian style beer, a Pale Ale, a classic British bitter, an IPA brewed with Fuggles hops,  a brown ale and they brew Ringwood old Thumper under licence. Oh! by the way, they have the largest brewery gift shop I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately a personal visit is needed to buy anything because Maine law forbids the brewery shipping outside the state. I charmed Jessica, the waitress, into copying a full list of beers for me (for which she very kindly refused my offer of a tip) and the list, complete with tasting notes is available from the author at clivewalder@hotmail.com.

My last port of call was the Capital Ale house in Richmond, Virginia. I expected a reasonable supply of bottles and perhaps up to a dozen on draught, I certainly didn’t expect 10 floor to ceiling bottle fridges and 50 handpulls. Unlike in Britain there is no menu board on public display and the ABV isn’t displayed on the handpull and they were at the back of the Bar so I couldn’t see how strong the beers were that I was drinking. That may explain why I left three sheets to the wind (I blame the Old Rasputin I had while I was waiting for my taxi). I fell into the taxi (if I was the cabbie I wouldn’t have taken me) and spent over an hour pacing the hotel parking lot trying to sober up. I had a good time though. My general verdict of American beer is that they brew less spectacular beers than British breweries but on the other hand I didn’t have anything I considered undrinkable. In short less very good and less very bad beers.

 Microbrewery beer is available in more liquor stores than in the UK.

 For more information about American beers see www.beeradvocate.com

 © Clive Walder 2007

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Last modified: 03/11/07