I think that we can all agree that beer is pretty important. It's helped change history, shape cities and served as a happy-hour staple for generations of college students.
While "beer water," like Natural Light, and the industry heavyweights, like Budweiser and Coors, may be the extent of most beer drinkers' taste spectrum, America's steadily expanding craft-beer movement is making waves in beer markets everywhere.
For Beer for Breakfast's first post, I want to tap into just what makes the craft beer movement so appealing — the flavors.
The best advice I received when jumping into the world of craft beer was to try anything and everything that sounded interesting. It can be easy to be intimidated by the sheer amount of flavors — everything from chocolate to hot peppers — available to you once you move beyond the pale lagers normally available on tap.
If you're ready to join the movement, ask yourself these questions before stepping up to the bar.
What do you usually drink? If you want to stay in your comfort zone, stick with a brew that has a similar color, texture and aroma to what you would normally order. For example, a regular Miller/Coors/Budweiser drinker would probably be happy with a pilsner — a light lager with a distinct hop flavor.
What do you crave? Sweet? Spicy? Choose flavors that play on ingredients you normally gravitate toward. My first craft beer was blueberry flavored and I never looked back.
What color do you like? Color is often an important factor when someone is experimenting with different types of beer, but don't always judge a beer by its appearance. Pale beers can have just as high of an alcoholic content as darker ones.
What's on the menu? If you're having a meal with your beer, make sure to think about flavor pairings. For a heartier dish, try a stout. Spicier dishes usually pair well with a pale ale or India Pale Ale.
Brewers are constantly creating new flavors and expanding the reach of their customer base. Stay on the lookout for new brews in your area, and don't be afraid to ask questions and experiment the next time you're at your favorite bar.
Check out recent releases or ask the bartender about the most popular flavors. If nothing else, go for the one with the coolest sounding name. Discovering your new favorite beer can be as simple as that.
The beer of the week is Samuel Smith's Organic Cider, a medium dry cider with a pale golden color perfect for toasting the beginning of fall.
While cider is considered more "apple wine" than "beer," the high alcoholic content and crisp bite of flavor make it a solid alternative to a typical seasonal brew. Samuel Smith's is straightforward — medium tartness, an aroma of sweet apple skins and notes of citrus. The refreshingly fizzy finish makes it one of my favorites for light sipping on a cool afternoon.
Samuel Smith Old Brewery, one of the few remaining independent breweries in England, is still crafting hard English cider and other complex craft beer varieties from the same estate in North Yorkshire that was founded in 1758. The brewery is the oldest in Yorkshire and still uses its team of grey Shire horses to make deliveries to local pubs five days a week.
Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is a great introduction into hard ciders and offers regular beer drinkers a change of pace from their go-to brew. It focuses on bringing out the tartness of a good apple without being too vinegary or sour. The crisp flavor offers a nostalgic throwback you can savor and gives you the perfect excuse to drink to the change of the seasons.
All Samuel Smith beers are vegan and can be found at bottle shops around Gainesville.
Posts in Beer for Breakfast appear on Wednesdays.
