Other countries' views of American craft beer

[drainbamage]

I got to wondering about something today, and I was hoping some of the non-US members of HBT had some insight. Whenever I'm lucky enough to be able to travel abroad (which isn't too often lately), I usually just try to sample as much of the local stuff as possible. I'd imagine it's difficult, if not impossible, to find even classic American craft beers like SNPA, SA Boston Lager, Anchor Steam, etc. Do people outside the US get much opportunity to try some of the stuff that has come out of the American craft brew/homebrew movement, and if so, what do they think of it?

While the British invented the IPA, do they have any taste for super-bitter West-Coast IPAs? Do the Germans cringe at the spiced/fruited/experimental beers coming from DFH and others? If you found a beer drinker in some light lager-only country in Central America, offered him a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial stout and tried to pass it off as beer, would he think you were nuts?

I hope this doesn't come off as some kind of arrogant American thing. I feel like we're pretty lucky to have nearly any style of beer readily available to buy or make, and I'm genuinely curious if the rest of the world gets access to some of the great stuff we have in the States, or if they're even interested in it.

 

[CBMbrewer]

One of my favorite sayings about american beer is that its like having sex in a canoe. It's F*#$ing close to water.

 

[progmac]

i have a british friend that prefers american beers and really misses them when he is gone and one of his first trips upon his return is to the beer store for a nice american IPA. shrug. i doubt a german would say the same thing, but who knows, some might.

 

[jiggs_casey]

One of my favorite sayings about american beer is that its like having sex in a canoe. It's F*#$ing close to water.

15 years ago? Sure.

Now? That statement is pretty ignorant.

 

[drainbamage]

One of my favorite sayings about american beer is that its like having sex in a canoe. It's F*#$ing close to water.

I've always liked that quote, but surely the beer-drinking world knows we make more than Bud Light now...?

 

[RacingRam]

A German friend recently told me that he thinks the BMC beers are awful, but many craft beers are much better than German beers. A broad statement, but complimentary.

 

[chawagi]

A German friend recently told me that he thinks the BMC beers are awful, but many craft beers are much better than German beers. A broad statement, but complimentary.

I can see that. German beers are great, and I'll never forget my time spent in Europe. It expanded my beer palette well beyond the BMC beers that were available at the time. Luckily when I returned from Europe is when the beer revolution seemed to hit, and BMC began making the attempt to put out more flavorful beers (Red Wolf, Amberbach, etc...).

Anyway...

I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said something about Europe being created by history, while America was created by philosophy. This is evident in the beers. Many German beer recipes are 100-150+ years old. they developed the recipe, slapped two coats of varnish on it for preservation, and called it good. The same recipes are still being brewed today, probably barely changed from their moment of conception.

Americans are innovators, however. We're never happy with what we have, and constantly seek the next way to improve something. American craftbrewers will throw rat turds in beer if there's even a remote possibility that it may offer a unique desirable flavor. This is why American craft brews are beginning to surpass historically superior brews.

 

[m3n00b]

Other countries' beer styles are usually completely different than ours. With exception of the UK and aus/nz our main styles are pretty unique. I enjoy beer from all countries and I can see any real enthusiast from any other country really enjoying our craft beer selection. There's something for everyone.

 

[drainbamage]

I can see that. German beers are great, and I'll never forget my time spent in Europe. It expanded my beer palette well beyond the BMC beers that were available at the time. Luckily when I returned from Europe is when the beer revolution seemed to hit, and BMC began making the attempt to put out more flavorful beers (Red Wolf, Amberbach, etc...).

A trip to Germany was my gateway to better beer too. I had already begun to move a little bit past lite beer in trying new things (if only stuff like Newcastle, Amber Bock and Boston Lager), but visiting a bunch of biergartens and sampling brands I could hardly pronounce at the time was a real eye-opener.

Americans are innovators, however. We're never happy with what we have, and constantly seek the next way to improve something. American craftbrewers will throw rat turds in beer if there's even a remote possibility that it may offer a unique desirable flavor. This is why American craft brews are beginning to surpass historically superior brews.

You hit the nail on the head. I wasn't really sure how happy some countries would be with us taking their centuries-old beer styles and saying "screw it, let's bump up the ABV and double the hops". Or worse, maybe they can't even get their hands on the good stuff, and still think the "making love in a canoe"-quote is still true.

I do know that Brooklyn Brewing has opened a brewery in Sweden, and Stone has been trying to expand into Europe as well, but I don't know how wide their distribution areas are/would be.

 

[progmac]

german beers have perfected the beers within their box. american breweries have a tough time competing within that box.

it's sort of like a city that is really proud of its old architecture. a place like portland oregon can never compete on those terms, but it can do something totally different, which some people might prefer.