“Whoever makes a poor beer is transferred to the dung-hill.” – Edict, City of Danzig, 11th centuryIt’s hard to be unique and original when everyone strives to do the same. Microbreweries and brewers around the world go all-out trying to make their brew stand out from the rest. Be it a dash of nutmeg, or unique fermentation technique, every composition has something different in it – there’ll always be something for everyone.
Microbreweries produce under 15,000 barrels of beer per year (as opposed to commercial giants such as Anheuser-Busch or Miller who produce over 50 million barrels annually) and occasionally have a small stake in various retail locations and brewpubs.
However, it isn’t only size and quantity that differentiates microbrews. It’s all about personality and approach when brewing a micro. Brewers can dare to be risky and experimental when brewing a microbrew, and they present their product with quality and pride compared to their competitors who aim to win customers over with price and popularity.
The very history of microbreweries in the United States runs parallel to the attitude America possesses when handed lemons in life. Before people had the luxury of refrigerating, home brewing was a popular practice so that beer wouldn’t go bad in a long trip. Prohibition in the early 20th century resulted in the closing of many breweries in America at the turn of the 20s.
As a result, home brewers started to secretly make their own beer at home. By the time Prohibition ended, America found itself at the end of an economic depression with little money left to spend on brewing good beer. Resulting were brands like Budweiser and Miller that used cheap ingredients, if only to just get the taste of beer back.
Consequently, many home brewers continued to brew their own beer at home to combat the bland taste of commercialized beer, using recipes and techniques of Great Britain, Belgium and Germany, thus producing the tasteful, rich brews that had graced their palettes before.
In the following pages you will find an extensive list of microbreweries in the country, reader reviews of their favorite brewpubs and a guide to making your own brews at home! We invite you to create your own account with us to rate your favorite microbrews, brewpubs and restaurants. Favorite reviews will be featured in our periodic newsletter that will be sent out to subscribers. So grab a beer and drink with us!
