The fact is that beer, beer styles, and how beer is being consumed and discussed have changed. The craft beer movement 2.0 (I consider the first movement to have occurred in the 1980s) has brought many benefits to those of us who crave quality beverages. On the other side of the coin, there has been a growing movement rooted in the more-is-better theory. Subsequently, we have more alcohol and more IBUs (International Bittering Units scale that essentially measures the level of hops in a given beer). Shifting Beer Styles has created a modern beer market where many beer drinkers have no experience with beers as they did just a couple of decades ago.
Today we have more brewers than ever before and a rapidly growing number of beer styles. In 1995 The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) identified 33 styles that they recognized in their annual competition of American beers. In 2014, the GABF’s style guide identified 90 categories, each with as many as 2 subcategories (180 in total).
The bulging number of styles has many contributing factors, chiefly the innovative nature of the brewers, the re-emergence of some old and nearly forgotten styles, and the creation of many styles that carry the “American-Style” prefix. In 1995, the GABF had a single category for the popular India Pale Ale (IPA) style. By 200,5 the American-Style prefix could be found for the IPA, as well as 18 additional categories in the style guide.
In 1995, IPA was defined as having an alcohol strength between 5–7.5% abv and IBU levels at 40 – 60. In 2014, the American-Style IPA was defined as having a whopping 50-70 IBU and 6.3-7.6% ABV. So what was a moderately hopped, potent IPA in 1995 is now the minimum for the style.
Consider the numbers on some popular beers found in most American craft beer bars:
- AleSmith IPA, IBU – 73, ABV – 7.25%
- Stone IPA, IBU – 77, ABV – 6.9%
- Firestone Union Jack, IBU – 70, ABV – 7.5%
If these beers were to time-travel back to 1995, they would have to be entered into the Barley Wine or “Specialty/Extreme” beer categories. Today’s mainstream beers are yesterday’s extreme beers, and today’s extreme beers are a bridge too far for this alcohol beverage enthusiast.
Here is a brief list of things found in beer that should never be in any beer served to me: grilled jalapeño, bacon, peanut butter, bull testicles, pizza crust, doughnuts, beard yeast (not a typo), hickory, and Oreo.
While some argue that adding everything but the kitchen sink is creative, I humbly disagree. Being creative should never be confused with doing something new. I could make a beer with garden slugs. Is this creative or palatable? We have a love of the classic beer styles.
In much of the “craft” beer brewing world, extremes are prized over balance. Let there be no misunderstanding regarding the craft of brewing. It requires far more skill to create a mildly hopped 5% abv ale than it does to produce a 75 IBU, 7.5% abv brew flavored with habanero peppers. High alcohol, high IBU, and potent flavors can hide a multitude of sloppy brewing practices.
An Olive Branch (no olive ale please…) from a Dedicated Session Beer Fan
A word to my beer-loving contemporaries and those who seek flavor and moderation: Be patient with the Millennial beer-loving bartenders when seeking session beers. It’s likely that they simply don’t have a point of reference.
A word to the Millennial beer geeks: we session beer seekers are simply looking for classic beer styles that satisfy the palate without dulling our senses. If you’re a little curious, join us for a session.
Do you want to better understand beer? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.