Birraire - Beer Blog

Had I been asked about American beer 9 years ago, a few months before knowing that my first job would take me to live in Brussels, I would have likely said that beer in the United States had no interest at all, with as much audacity as ignorance allows. But just half a year later, I found out at Delirium Café that there were far more American beers than the ones I knew, after spechlessly skimming their 2,500 plus beer menu. The first ones I drank were Anchor Steam Beer and its sister Liberty on tap, during my Honeymoon, in a fantastic seafood restaurant in the piers area of San Francisco. I was greatly impressed, and thought I had tried such local, unusual beer and that I would seldom have the opportunity to try it again. Time gives one perspective, indeed.

Innovation has been so far one of the engines that have allowed the increasing shift of the beer scene in many countries. A change that has certainly found an inspiration in American "craft" breweries, but that has been giving very good results to consumers of beer so far in Europe, especially in emerging markets like ours. For the present occasion, I am about to describe briefly the impressions I had while drinking the beers of three different breweries that since their inception, although in different points of time, have clearly opted for innovation. To explore, each one in its own way, the limits of beer and the interpretation of its styles.

 I barely had had no time to digest new beer trends according to Draft Magazine , after the conclusion of the 2015 Great American Beer Festival , when I found myself face to face with one of them: a Lager aged in Scotch whisky barrels. Daring, but it certainly will give more prestige to brewers who are able to tune the beers that follow this line. Beside it, a much more present trend: a contemporary Saison, where in addition to its own characteristic yeasty profile, hops play a quite remarkable role. Finally, one of those styles that locally seemed grounbreaking just four years ago, causing lots of excitement among beer enthusiasts: a Black IPA, which shamelessly continues with that oxymoron of a popular name.