Photo by ScubaBeer/FlickrCC
Yesterday I wrote a piece for my host paper here in Berlin, der Tagesspiegel, defending American beer. Needless to say, the reaction from commenters has been swift and harsh. But because it's in German, I'm really only seeing half the debate. What do Americans think about German beer? And what do readers think about the piece? Remember, it's for a German audience, but I hope the arguments can get some discussion going.
Read the piece in translation below; read it in the original German here.
Dish water. Piss. A joke. There are a lot of stereotypes about American beer here in Germany. And these stereotypes aren't completely wrong: Budweiser, Miller, Coors--the USA manufactures a lot of famous, awful beers.
But the market is changing: Since the late 1980s you can find more and more small, fantastic American breweries. Dogfish Head, from Deleware, for example, is famous for its so-called "extreme beers" brewed with raisins or aged in oak barrels. These "micro breweries" or "craft brewers" only have around five percent of the market, but they nevertheless have a big influence. As an answer to these challengers the big firms are making better and better beers--Coors produces Blue Moon, a wheat beer, and Anheuser-Busch has brought Stone Mill, an organic pale ale, to the market.
In comparison, the German beer market seems a little boring to Americans. It's true that Germany produces Schneider, Weihenstephaner, Andechs, and Schlenkerla. But how often are these beers consumed? Becks, Sternburg, Flensburg, and others are the most-consumed beer brands in Germany, and they are hardly better than Coors or Miller.
It's no wonder that, according to the German statistical office, in the first half of 2009 German breweries sold 2.3 million hectoliters (4.5 percent) less beer than in the same period for 2008. That's the largest drop in statistical history. Is it possible that Germans find their own beer a bit boring? In any case it's time that Germany give American beer a second chance. Here are five reasons:
1. Quality For a long time price was the single most important factor in the American beer market. But today there are really two beer markets: one, in which price is still determinant, and another, in which quality counts. The second market is smaller, but more complex and adventurous; they drink Dogfish Head and other beers as a luxury symbol. In this market the best breweries compete through quality as well as price. It's normal to find a $10 beer made with the finest ingredients in a corner grocery store. How many German beers cost more than 1.50 euros?
2. Selection This second market promises not just quality, but also variety. Twenty years ago there was only watery pilsner. Today any local store offers a beer universe: barley wine, IPAs, cream porters, Belgian triples, fruit beers, imperial stouts and many others. The beer world knows more than just light and dark.
3. Innovation German beer is prized for its tradition. The breweries here have perfected the lager, the hefeweissen, and the helles. But how often do you find new offerings? In contrast, each year brings new trends, experiments, and fads to the American beer market. The current trend is for more and more hops, although Belgian beers--tripels, saisons, etc.--are also hot. These often have a higher alcohol content, and as an answer you can also find more and more nuanced beers, especially from Pennsylvania. There you can find Stoudt's, which specializes in German beer styles--they brew kölsch, maibock, helles, pils, doppelbock, and hefeweissen. Such innovations make the American beer scene exciting, fun, and surprising. It's also important to note the influence of homebrewing. Americans love homebrewing, and many microbreweries started out as hobbies. The homebrewing scene is an enormous workshop for the American beer world.
4. Geography America is a big place, with different climates and "terroirs." Beer from the American Midwest contains more malt, because that's where a lot of barley is grown. Beer from California, Oregon, and Washington State on the other hand contains more hops. The water in Oregon tastes different from the water in Florida, which makes their beers taste different as well.
5. Openness/curiosity Unlike England or Germany, America has no real beer tradition of its own. What is American beer? It's everything and nothing. English ale and Czech pils are both accepted. Americans import their styles, and so beer is nor a national symbol or a part of ist culinary patriotism. You'd never find a German brewery that makes a Belgian beer: The German beer culture is too proud of itself. In contrast, in America such internationalism is the ideal.
American beer culture is not better than Germany's, it's just different. But one can no longer say that German beer is better. Americans prize German beer. It's time for Germans to do the same.
Most of the German commenters take issue with my comparison between Beck's and Flensburger on one hand and Coors and Miller on the other. Hyperbole, perhaps, but they're all boring to me. Others objected to the idea that "extreme beer" could ever count as real beer. I probably could have stated my "quality vs. price" argument better, because many commenters assumed I meant that good American beer is all really pricey. But my point was really that some beer in America is a luxury good, and is priced accordingly. Obviously, there are lots of reasonably priced American craft beers.
To some extent the difference is unbridgeable--Germans are uninterested in innovation or even a wide variety of choice, because they feel they have already found perfection. Americans are dazzled by the possibilities of new angles and avenues, and pursue them relentlessly, even if it means breaking rules. Is there is a better statement about the basic differences between European and American culture?
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I am certainly ecletic, i enjoy the simple sweetness of the lighter german beers, but the richness of american porters and ales. while i grew up in an era when coors was a novelty, the sheer variety of quality american beer suggests we've entered a golden age.
As a beer lover and homebrewer myself, I have to say my visit to Munich (the capital of German beer from what I was told) was rather disappointing. Yes, the German brewing tradition and expertise has resulted in very high quality lagers (all three of them).
If your only alternative is the bland offerings of the majority of the American market, they win hands-down. The rest of the American market, composed of brewpubs, micro-, and craft-brewers, however, offer a wealth of flavors from a ridiculous variety of beers that is unmatched anywhere else. It should be noted that most are varieties of Ale which is not really found in Germany, so they might not know what they're tasting anyway.
Germans are right: Budweiser sucks. But ignoring everything else is just being provincial.
In my opinion you lost with your first salvo. Dogfish Head is awesome, but you make it sound like they're awesome because of wacky ingredients. The variety in the US is important, and innovation, too, but I think the larger story is akin to American production in wine, and is the story of maturity.
The German tradition is that every city has their own brewery, and there is strong regional pride. Locals know their beer from the next town over and so on, even if the beers are all in the same fairly narrow range of styles.
In the US, the craft movement is in many ways regional, too. For example, one of my favorite brewers, New Glarus, doesn't ship outside of WI (not yet, anyway). I think they're a better comparison than Dogfish Head because while they do try some things (bourbon bock, etc), most of their beers are pretty straightforward. (Oh the Staghorn, the Staghorn!).
And while part of the story is that Wisconsin beer tastes different than Oregon beer, to me the real story is that you have to go to Oregon to really know what Oregon beer is. Go to a city like Portland, OR, and you'll see tons of brewpubs and regional brewers, many of whose beers have probably never been tasted outside the city limits.
Even in the small midwestern city in which I live, there are four brewpubs/breweries, three of which are decent. The newest is "Great River Brewery," pretty much right on the Mississippi River. They do a brown ale, a red ale, a Mexican ale, a stout, and a couple others. It's craft beer, but you won't find blueberries in it. It's not going to compete globally, in shelf-space or in taste, frankly, but it's just good local affordable beer, and you can even get it at our minor league ballpark. There's your American story. Go on a Friday, and you'll even get to see some fireworks.
The days when every city had their own brewery are long gone, and any regional identity with it. Most of the local brand have either gone 'national' or out of business. Only few regional ones survive. And interestingly enough, they are easier to get in Baltimore and DC than in German supermarkets.
Overall, the 'regional' beers in the US are more widely marketed than the ones in Germany.
Not to go off on a tangent, but it's nice to see some New Glarus love here. I'm praying for the day that stuff starts getting distributed on the East Coast. Their Dancing Man wheat beats pretty much any German Hefeweizen I've tried. That said, I'm stuck with what I can get imported here (Paulaner, Weihenstephaner, Franziskaner, etc.).
I have to say I agree with you; while Weihenstephaner is amazing, Becks is about as good as Miller Lite. I wish you would have named more great American beer: Rogue, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, etc. But I don't know whats available in Germnay. And your column does sort of give the impression that all American microbrew is an "extreme" concoction. The image conjured up is nothing but high-gravity fruity experiments, which is not the case. Although the Germans could stand to mix things up a bit with their beer, and to export more of their better brews. Nice column and cheers.
Well I'm an American and I do happen to like American micro beers much better than the majority of imports we get from Germany (or anywhere else in Europe for that matter), but I'd always assumed that the really interesting beers from the Fatherland hadn't made it to these shores, just as most micro-brews here don't have much of an audience outside of a couple states, let alone an international presence. I've only spent a little time in Germany, and while I was there I had some fairly typical medium body beers...but I also did stop at one brewpub (in Switzerland actually) that had some amazing beer that was different from anything I had in the states up to that point. I believe the closest comparison would be a rye beer, which has become one of my favorites over the last couple of years.
Absolutely....here in Eastern PA we have Stoudt's, Victory, and Weyerbacher. Fat Dog, Golden Monkey, and Merry Monks....bring it on, Fritz
Well, the comments in Tagesspiegel are a bit more balanced than you make them out to be here. But as a German living in the US for the last 8 years, I completely agree with you. As it happens, Dogfish Head is my favorite beer here in DC, as it is probably the best in the Mid-Atlantic Region. But there are many excellent micro-brews in all of the US. "Drink local" is my advice to anybody interested in beer here. As for Germany, Beck's, Jever, and Warsteiner, watered down their beers some years ago in order to appeal to a larger segment of the market. The result is that they are now the equivalent of Budweiser, Coors and the likes. There are still some decent German beers to be had, but they are harder to get a hold of than micro-brews in the US.
Your point about the lack of innovation is well taken. There is no equivalent to Dogfish Head and its almost insane obsession with new variations of beer. The best German beers are in fact regional, or local, traditional brews that survived the trend towards mass production.
So whenever I am asked - and as a German I hear this question a lot - where the best beer is brewed, my answer is an unequivocal "in the US of A". And many Germans who had a chance to sample American brews tend to agree.
Great article!
I had the good fortune to spend a week or so in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands in each of the last two years, and have to agree that the "average" (meaning known and consumed by non afficionados) German beer is, for me, (an acknowledged beer "geek") preferable to the statistically similiar product from the U.S. I happened to be in Koln for World Church Day and clearly what is wrong with America is not enough beer in church. That being said, the many craft breweries springing up across the America, are without question making some of the finest beers in the world.
German beer tends to cluster around a recognized center of taste and style, and however good, they pale in comparison to the exceptional tastes and varieties of styles found here. The beers available from Dogfish, Bell's, or Three Flloyds simply eclipse most of what you might get from their German counterparts. Bell's Oberon is a spectacular beer. Three Flloyds in particular (Munster, Indiana) has a range of beers that has to be sampled to be believed. Their "Dark Lord Day" event has literally thousands of people registering in ADVANCE to buy a limited edition release. I suspect the issue is that the best of show from America is still unknown even here, much less there.
Great article. I'd add my POV, based on a single observation:
Any individual that is unwilling to accept Dogfish Head's 120-minute IPA as an outstanding beer doesn't have an opinion about beer that I'm interested in hearing.
I've seen Sam from DFH speak a couple of times, and I'm convinced that the author's statements about geography and diversity are really important. 'Beer' isn't one thing, and it isn't one set of ingredients and if you're clinging to the Reinheitsgebot you're seriously missing out on what beer might be.
Dark Lord, is unbelievable. Bump for Three Floyd's, love Dogfish Head and Bell's too. As a Chicagoan, I should promote Goose Island, but there are too many other good beers out there I like to drink before them.
I suggest home-brewing to any avid beer drinker. It really opens your eyes to the different flavors and textures in a beer.
I am German My self , and I do confess me and my folks are not really fond of American Beers.
PSP Homebrew
One of my favorite topics: Beer! I must chime in. I have to vote for the Great American Pacific-Northwest micro-breweries. By far, the Pacific Coast starting in San Diego all the way up to Alaska, have the best micro-brews on the planet! I can name quite a few awesome breweries as well as beers. And you're right, the water has a lot to do with the flava! I reside in the same town where several pioneers of micro-brew industry exist: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and the organic beer pioneer, Butte Creek Brewing Company. I prefer a nice balanced hoppy, high gravity beer like a Barley Wine, Double IPA, or IPA. More bang for your buck drinking these fine ales. Thanks for the post and definitely my vote is Amerikan!
I never understood the fascination with IPAs; they have a weird, unbalanced flavor and like dying in my sleep, I just don't feel it.
I live in the so-called Napa Valley of Beer (the Colorado Front Range), and my wife is a language professor. She has a number of German colleagues. When they host an event, we always drink American beer -- usually Boulder Beer Company or New Belgium. I'd be told to go back to the store and get something else if I brought a German beer.
I do believe in the local beer idea. When in Portland, you drink Deschutes or whatever is local. In Denver, Flying Dog or Avery... Here in Los Angeles we are blessed with the up and coming Northern San Diego County: Green Flash, Stone, Port and others. I am not a big fan of Dogfish Head (too cutesy with the flavorings) but Victory outside Philly is probably the best brewery in the Mid-Atlantic.
As for Germany, again its local. Though there has been consolidation in the market, amazing beers can be found. In fact there was a great article about brewpubs in Germany in last week's L.A. Times: http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-germany23-2009aug23
Kolsch in Cologne, Applewein in Frankfurt (though not a strictly a beer) Rauchbier in Bamberg (I've been dying to get there to try it) and the home of wheat beers, Munich. And Berlin has the weird syrup thing in the beer. And then there are the bocks, etc. etc. So many beers. Germany is a much smaller country, with more beer history than ours. Even still, there seems to be many local differences in brewing.
If you're from Denver, chances are you drink Breckenridge or New Belgium (Fat Tire of 90 Schilling) too.
I currently live in Switzerland and I can say, hands down, that American micro brews put out a far superior product these days.
Nice article, interesting comments. But I have to add my two cents on Apfelwein. I've lived in Frankfurt for over a decade now and this city is doubly cursed. Not only is the local beer wretched, but Apfelwein is an abomination ! (Nothing remotely like beer, either.)
Wrt beer across Germany, the main points have been made: The German standard beers are much better than their American counterparts, local beers offer quite a lot more than the standards (both countries), and German locals lack the diversity of the American locals (keeping in line with the German aversion to most innovations that occur outside of automobiles).
For example, a Netflix-like enterprise is just starting up in Germany. Now, 2009. Just how much tradition could anchor Germans to their local DVD-rental places so that this idea hadn't been tried earlier? Now think about German beer and its TRADITION . . . innovation is not valued.
I appreciate the shout-out for PA beer: Philly is now the unrivaled beer capital of the East Coast, with Dogfish Head, Stoudt's, Troeg's, Flying Fish, Victory, Weyerbacher, Yards and Lancaster Brewing Company all nearby. Even our very own Duff (Yuengling) is better than Bud.
Great comments about PA beer. Yuengling is a treat and I for one wish we had it in the Northeast.
Left this on your German version:
As an American who lived in Germany 3 years, I can attest that German beer is legendary. All my american friends agree. (Nevertheless, please don't compare Beck's to Miller!)
Mr. Risen is right -- many Germans criticize that what they don't know: "Americans prize German beer. It's time for Germans to do the same."
My boyfriend is German and has convinced many a visitor from Germany just how delicious his new favorite beer, Sierra Nevada IPA, is :)
***
Da ich als Amerikanerin 3 Jahre in Deutschland gelebt habe, kann ich wohl bestaetigen, dass deutsches Bier legendaer ist. Und das wissen ja alle meine Amerikanische Freunde. (Bitte Becks NICHT mit Miller vergleichen!)
Herr Risen hat aber Recht-- viele Deutsche kritisieren was sie nicht kennen: "Amerikaner schätzen echtes deutsches Bier. Es ist höchste Zeit, dass Deutschen das Gleiche tun."
Mein Freund ist Deutscher und hat mehrere von unseren deutschen Gaeste ueberzeugt, dass ein Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale (IPA) schon sehr lecker ist :)
Schoene Gruesse aus Amiland!
You hinted at a far more fair comparison: is Pennsylvania better beer country than Germany? I would say California, Michigan and the Mid-Atlantic region could all best Bavaria and it's environs.
JahLove63 has it. As an American who lived in Germany - Bavaria to be specific - for 4 post-college yrs in the mid '90's I enjoyed many a day drink at beer gardens as well as many late evenings at beer kellers enjoying what the locals had to offer. From Thurn und Taxis to the Erdinger the ingredients fresh and the beer brewed true to the German Beer Law (Reinheitsgebot) my pallet came to to truly appreciate the old joke; American beer [was] like making love in a canoe...it's f*@king close to water.
Since returning I have spent many years in my profession traveling, entertaining and enjoying what we now have to offer here in the US. And, without a doubt, I have found the best of the best to be along the left coast with, in my opinion, Stone Brewery in the North County San Diego leading the charge.
Hell yes. I'll put my hometown's adopted brewery, Flying Dog, up against anything the Germans can make. Just reading this piece made me itch to go downstairs and grab a Doggie Style Pale Ale.
Agree that the focus on "Extreme Beers" was a bit odd and misrepresentative.
Good beer, no shit.
Sorry to say I think it is a lost cause. I lived in Berlin for two years and while I came to love beers such as Köstritzer, Berliner Pilsner and even Bamberg's Rauschbier (must drink with Frankonian food ie smoked pork), I got annoyed with the nationalistic attitude towards "auslander" beer from other countries. Heck, the EU court had to ORDER Germany to allow the importation of Belgian beers, which according to Germans are laden with "chemicals" (like fruit).
More than anything, when it comes to beer, the Germans seem obsessed with one thing above all else: purity. If it has other than hops, malt, water and yeast, then it's not really beer to a German. Even the tastiest microbrews from Oregon, Colorado or Northern Cali would be met with suspicion, and I doubt most Germans would care for IPA or Belgian-style ales anyway.
To be fair, the hefeweizen in America is crap. And IMHO, so is Bud and Coors--BUT, they are no worse than the crappy Carlsberg or Tuborg you get in Denmark. So yeah, needless to say the Germans are as picky and arrogant about their beer than the French are about their wine.
I think comparing Germany with the US is an excercise in futility. Both markets and countries are way too different for a comparison to make any sense. The only aspect in which they could be compared are their mass produced brews, which, as it happens everywhere else, they aren't the best the country has to offer.
And about innovation, I honestly don't see much innovation in american brewing. Making something much stronger or hoppier is not innovation, it's just making things stronger and hoppier.
Where I agree, though, is the openess of at least some part of the american market, which has made possible to see such a wide range of styles.
At the same time, German, and Central European styles in general, might seem monotonous, but there are many differences in them. Just to give an example a Dunkles from Frankonia is not the same as a Dunkles from Munich, regardless of what the BCJP style guide might tell you.
I generally agree with your thoughts, but I think your emphasis on the diversity and experimentation of American beers is a little misleading for two reasons:
1. There are a lot of REALLY annoying "experimental", trendy beers out there. Think of the brewers that feel the need to hop beers beyond drinkability just to make a statement. Or the dark beers that are practically sludgy, again I imagine just to make a statement. There are real problems with the experimental culture that produce some very embarassing beers. But generally speaking I agree - there are a lot of good experimentals out there that are fun to drink - and it would be frustrating not to have that available in Europe.
2. Your emphasis on our diversity downplays how well we do the classic tastes. I'm thinking of something like Boston Lager. There's nothing especially new or notable about it - it's just classic styles or tastes done well. There are a LOT of beers out there like that. Locally, for me - New River Pale Ale, McHenry Pale Ale, Star Hill Amber Ale. I don't have to go out of the Maryland/Virginia breweries to get all the classic taste from small brewers that I could want. And then there are more "diverse" tastes that don't take it to the extreme... Sam Adams Octoberfest and Summer Ale bring in seasonal variants without overwhelming the beer. We do classic well. That could have come out a little stronger in your piece.
As a UK native who lived in Germany for a year before moving to the US, it's my opinion that most Americans really don't like beer: why else would we serve it at a temperature at which it can't be tasted? While there are, as many here have pointed out, some very good boutique beers here, there's simply no comparison between mass market beers made in Europe and the US regardless of brand (and shame on those who sold their brand names).
FWIW, to my taste the best of the bunch are Belgian!
Evidently a lot of Germans don't really like beer, either, or they wouldn't put fruit in it. As for the UK, who invented lager and lime, anyway?
But nobody can dis American beer like a Canadian. Just ask one.
As an EU/US mutt and self-proclaimed hedonist -I find this discussion very interesting as well. The whole thing to me starts with the history of alcohol. First - alcohol developed in the only region on earth where it is illegal today. Second - initially most alcohol was sweet. Third - grains and hops only came into the equation much much later - for better or worse.
Personally I cannot agree with the claim that beer has existed before the focus on hops came along. We are after all talking about a recognizable taste etc? Mead - yes - beer without hops - no. The strict and dogmatic local ingredients list in modern European beers that the author mentions stem from the relationship between the church and alcohol in Europe. But that is another story. This is all changing anyway as was discussed here. Initially - beer was made of fruits and honey besides all the starches and not with hops and I hope that experimental developments in Belgium (Andrew above is spot on) and the US will help to get back there.
Personally I have never been that fond of grains based alcohol - more of a wine guy with the obvious exception of vodka. As a vegetarian/vegan I consume a lot of grains (bread and pasta) anyway and the estrogen levels are higher in hops than in say soy? I personally prefer to smoke and not drink hopes as it a member of the family Cannabaceae.
Again - my general hope is that we can move away from grains to more fruit agriculture and consumption. But beer is at least healthier and much more ecological than say cow milk - and it makes you high.. eh.. drunk. Ecologically and health wise that would be good balancing right now?
Well Europeans have had the luxury of doing the whole beer thing longer than Americans, so it is an unfair comparison. I love American beer but Europeans make some incredible beer. That being said I like more of a dark beer and Americans are kind of behind in that department.
Thanks for the posts on this. I'm a beer fan, have lived mostly in good beer towns (Boston and Portland OR), and have done a lot of homebrewing, I've also spent a fair amount of time in Germany and Austria.
On balance, I too give the nod to the US market, though I very much respect the quality level of mass-marketed German beer. Even Becks and Warsteiner are better than Miller Lite, despite what someone upthread might think, and it's usually not hard to find good regional beers like Bitburger or Ayinger. The range is limited, though, and if you limit yourself to good US micros the quality is at least on a par with the Germans.
Two critiques of the US though.
First, I'm also in the camp that's not thrilled by "extreme brewing" -- and you did overemphasis that segment in your article. Experimentation is good, but too often it's just a contest about how expensive, exotic, or strong-flavored you can make the beer. New but subtle and balanced is more impressive to me. Similarly, the emphasis on higher and higher gravities doesn't fit well as I'm becoming middle aged and would like to have a beer or two without ending drunk and fat. How about going for quality and innovation in English-style "session beers" -- as in fact British craft brewers do.
Second, I wish more US brewpubs made good lagers. I'll pick an ale over a lager 2/3 of the time, but finding a high quality craft brewed lager can be tough. I fully understand the technical reasons why it's more expensive, but while I don't feel any great need to buy imported ales other than to try new breweries, my standard Maerzens and Dunkels are German, and I'll often go to them for Pils/Helles too. For that matter to many US wheat beers are of the bland Widmer style or least too sweet-banana if done with a proper weizen yeast. I'll usually have Schneider or Weihenstehpan in my fridge over US offerings.
While I have had some very good beers while in Germany, I found the overall quality better from my home region (Rocky Mountain - esp. New Belgian Brewery). Nevertheless, neither place compares to the place that, hands-down, has the best beer - the Czech Republic.
Hear, hear !
Thanks for all the great comments so far. I never figured I'd get Germans to concede the argument, and I wasn't really aiming to prove one country's beer culture is better than the other. Just different, and that Germans should give American beers a spin.
And while I'd have loved to give shout outs to all my favorite American beers, the fact is that almost nothing is available here, making it an exercise in futility. In fact, I was wary of recommending even Sam Adams or Anchor Steam, which you can occasionally find in bottles in Berlin, because they're almost always months past their expiration dates.
Several of you are right to criticize me for emphasizing innovation and experimentation over American skills at "classic" brewing. One point a friend emphasized was the number of leading American brewers who have studied in Germany -- the guys from Gordon Biersch, for example. And that Stoudt's and others use German hops in their beers.
And it's also true that, since I filed this post and went on my merry way, the comments at der Tagesspiegel have become more balanced. Clearly it's a case of passion being faster than reason.
Honestly, the only people who can make a true comparison are those who have traveled extensively. In Munich, one of the dominant brands is Augustiner, which makes some of the most incredible wheat beers on the face of the earth. If you try to find these beers in America, you have to settle for brands like Spaten, which are really inferior. But if you want a German hefe outside of Germany, that's what you settle for -- you can't even find Augustiner in France.
Likewise, one of the most widely available American "micros" is Blue Moon, which is really a barely passable Belgian White with a monster distributor behind it. Nevermind that Bell's Oberon beats it to a pulp and then dances on its grave, it's a hell of a lot harder to find. So how are German consumers going to give American beers any benefit of the doubt when our best brews are a bit underground? And how can Americans fully appreciate the German brewing tradition when we're just getting the bigger and more boring distributors?
I think German beer (as drunk in Germany) still beats American beer, but it's not the landslide it used to be. American beer is still in a state of flux, with the micro quality explosion trickling down to the macros as a lot of us decide we still don't want to drink Budweiser but can't always pay $5 for a draft. Witness the Phoenix-like rebirth of Pabst, left for dead over a decade ago, and Yungling's rise to prominence.
American beer was, for a long time, the victim of a bad confluence of Prohibition, the Depression, and post-war industrialism. Our beer culture was destroyed, and it rebuilt itself in the era of mass production. We're not caught up yet, but we're gaining fast. (I see the current obsession with hopping-to-the-bitterness-of-lemon-juice trend as a serious setback, but I'm expecting it to fade in the next several years. One can hope.)
People drink craft beers as a "luxury symbol?" I've heard this rubbish before, and I simply don't understand it.
Is it at all possible that people drink craft beers because they taste good? Do you chose steak over baloney because you want to show off?
Yeah I have to agree. I drink craft beer because I like it. Does McDonald's dictate what everyone eats? No. So why does big beer?
I suppose if you think that hefe & dunkle are the best beer styles on the planet, then it makes sense to think that Germany makes the best beer on the planet.
On the other hand, if you'd rather NOT drink beer after beer that all have incredibly strong banana and clove notes, you could go ahead and line up glasses of any of the following.
Russian River,
Three Floyd's
Lost Abbey/Port Brewing
Great Lakes
Surly
Southern Tier
Victory
Stone
Rogue
Dogfish 90/120
These breweries produce amazing bottles of what you'd easily place among the best beers in the world (and they taste a /damn/ sight better than hefeweissen). There's more variety in that list too- I think all of them (save Russian) have just about every variety available at at least some point during the year.
There's a simpler argument too: "I prefer IPAs and America makes the best IPAs in the world."
German beer is exquisite- just wanted to make that clear.
I think you make good points but you are a bit behind current trends - at least I think so. Here in Philadelphia, undeniably the epicenter of east-coast beer culture, the trend is towards lighter beers and more authentic, restrained interpretations of classic styles. The trend is towards appropriately-hopped pilnsers and real English-style ales (without the over-hopping nonsense). If anything the current trends, and I guess the upcoming trends for some, should make it easier for Europeans to appreciate the quality of American beers.
I'm coming late to this discussion, but as a Portlander and huge IPA fan living in Berlin, could anyone recommend any German beers that come close to what I'm used to?