Plenty of European Football fans have made their pilgrimage over to North America as the 23rd edition of the Fifa World Cup takes place in Mexico, United States and Canada. And if you’re following the beer-related events in the social media world, most fans from countries like Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and Austria say it’s not even debatable that beer in Europe is superior than the beer available in the US.
So I would like to offer my humble opinion to this endless debate, while in the meantime dusting off this blog after a 4 year hiatus, just as often as the Fifa World Cup takes place. Coincidence? 😄
Disclaimer: I’m not from the US and have lived in Europe for more than 10 years (also lived in Asia and South America).
Mass-consumption beer
The average football fan is not culturally knowledgeable about this precious liquid like a beer geek is. Go to any bar in the US where such fans congregate and witness them blissfully ordering “just a beer” — no questions asked about styles or anything. And obviously, in most normal pubs in the US they would more likely get an industrial beer such as Budweiser, Bud Light or Coors.
The same fans in European countries like the ones mentioned above (let’s leave France and Italy out for now) would most certainly get a better beer following the same principle of ordering “just a beer” at any random pub, so I understand their perspective. It’s all about the publicly and generally available beer for mass consumption that they’re perceiving as superior, while leaving out an entire industry that thrives on the sidelines.
A big misconception
I would argue it’s not only about football fans, but about the average European that’s not involved in the beer industry. I would sometimes talk with friends about my love for American IPAs and they are usually baffled, as they were raised with a general misconception about American beer being below average.
Beer has been known in Europe for about 5000 years, whereas the United States will be celebrating its 250th anniversary this upcoming fourth of July. However, don’t let that fool you! For such a young country, their beer market has grown at astronomically levels, especially if we look closely at their craft beer industry.
They were (and still are) heavily influenced by European beer styles, but I would argue they have been far more creative than their European counterparts when it comes to innovation, leading to an incredibly fast-evolving industry with fantastic beer styles that may or may not have deviated from the original recipes designed thousands of years ago.
Verdict
So, is European beer really better than American beer? You should now have the knowledge to make a more informed decision on your own, but my take is that there’s place for both and can’t be generalized.
For example, I absolutely love Czech Lagers in the summer time (Helles Lagers when in Germany), and the ones produced in the Czech Republic are some of the best, but breweries such as Suarez Family, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Cohesion Brewing, Schilling Beer Co and even the renown Tree House Brewing Company produce world-class lagers — you just need to know where to look.
Photo courtesy of d0minooch
All year around, I love my Hazy IPAs, and here there’s no debate at all: American breweries are the absolute best, with some of my favorites being Freak Folk Bier, Troon Brewing, Fidens Brewing, RaR Brewing, North Park (these guys make my favorite West Coast IPAs as well), and Brujos Brewing. Honorable mentions: Threat Beer Company, Lyric Brewing Company, Shelton Brewing, Green Cheek Beer Co, Monkish Brewing, and Fallside Brewing. I mean look at this!
It’s not a coincidence that they remain untouchable in this style, as it was born in the New England region (specifically the Vermont area), with The Alchemist being referred as one of the pioneers in this style with their Heady Topper released in the early 2000s. Since then, countless breweries have refined the process, taking it to an unbelievable quality level of hop-saturated beverages that remain highly drinkable even at higher ABVs.
Europe is still playing catch up in this style, with most of the innovation happening in the UK with breweries such as Track Brewing Co (IMHO they make the best West Coast IPAs in Europe), Azvex Brewing (Hyper Hopped Ales, anyone?), Beak Brewery, and Verdant Brewing Co.
This collaboration from Verdant with California’s Green Cheek was IMO the best NEDIPA produced in Europe to date — especially the first two batches — but I’m a sucker for Nectaron hops so you should know I can be biased here. It really was on par with the level we’ve come to expect from our favorite American hazies.
What I noticed from most European breweries that fail to deliver on this style is that they either seem oblivious to the American beer industry or just don’t care because they are profitable anyway.
Those that understand the style, look up to them and even collaborate on beer recipes! That is the only way European breweries can move forward, because until recently, most have stagnated with their centuries-old processes while American breweries have innovated beyond comprehension and continue to push the limits of what’s possible.
Omnipollo is perhaps the only European brewery outside the UK that’s been on the right track for a while now, and this past collaboration with Lyric Brewing from Denver, Colorado has been one of the highlights.
While traditional brewing processes remain important, innovation also plays a critical role in this ever-changing industry.
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I hope that settles the debate (even though this will continue for years 😆).
I also hope European breweries keep on getting inspired by American breweries (like they do!) and keep on pushing the limits so we can get to enjoy great IPAs without breaking the bank.
What are your thoughts? Follow me on Instagram for more craft beer posts!
Cheers.
