How is craft beer like pornography? Well, according to Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver, “You know it when you see it.” Or, “You know it when you taste it,” at any rate. Defining what craft beer is a group of beer rock stars on this episode of Beer Sessions Radio™, including Garrett, host Jimmy Carbone, Blind Tiger’s Dave Brodrick, Heavy Seas‘ Hugh Sisson, and Jeff and Heather Rush of Pine Box Rock Shop.
How do you tell what is truly craft beer as the industry changes and grows? Garrett’s take is that the key “break between craft beer and mass market beer” is to know your brewer. Mass market beer is money-centered, not brewer-centered. Garrett also reports that the big news out of Brooklyn Brewery is that they will be opening a brewery in Sweden by the end of the year (he also tips off the studio guests about Brooklyn Bowl’s big expansion out in Las Vegas), not to mention he has 15 beers currently in development.
As Pine Box Rock Shop has just installed a cask system, the guests discuss the challenges of caring for cask beer, and how the American idea of cask ale is launching a new take on traditional English ales. The goal is to educate publicans in how to serve cask ales, but also to let American drinkers know that U.S. cask ales are not “this warm, flat U.K. beer.” Making cask ale accessible to all craft beer drinkers is key to keeping this historic beer available for centuries to come.
And apparently the session beer has finally arrived. Although Hugh admits Loose Cannon is still his best selling beer, session beers are no longer the last beer on the menu to drink. Many craft beers now weigh in at 3 and 4 percent ABV are full bodied with rich hop profiles minus the high alcohol content.
And, of course, it’s July Good Beer Month, and Garrett has a dynamic and commanding reading of Mayor Bloomberg’s recent Proclamation (at the 30 minute mark). You can listen to the full episode #171 here.