August 12 2010

Mini-Micro Brews

Micro brews. Names such as Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium often come to mind. These, and others, have become the answer to the bland, boring brews of the big guys. This "macro beer" is typically only drinkable when ice cold (and apparently we've become so stupid that the cans need to tell us when the beer is cold). The micro brew movement has been an answer to many a beer geek's prayers. There's a lot of great, American stuff out there now.

But these days, we are fortunate to see the continued growth of tiny, local breweries. I call these establishments mini-micro breweries. You probably have one (or many) in your town. They most often brew two or more beers, often unique and experimental. Some even distill spirits.  They're likely to serve some pretty good grub to boot. Check one out. It's worth your while to meet the person who made your drink. Talk 'em up. You'll learn that most of these folks do it because they're just like you. They LOVE great beer!

My first mini-micro was Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas. What a place. With regional distribution starting this year, Free State made the move from mini-micro to a full fledged micro brewery. If you haven't found your mini-micro yet, get to work!

Cheers!

Mark -Beer Enthusiast