In the last few years, we’ve witnessed an explosion of new beer styles...
Where sours were once obscure, today American wild ales and their fruited variants are the darlings of craft beer. Where session IPA's initially had us scratching our heads (How are they different from pale ales? Are they supposed to be less alcoholic or less bitter than IPA's, or both?), they’ve now distinguished themselves as one of the most popular beer styles on shelves.
But 2016 was different: Unlike years during which we celebrated wholly new styles, this time around we relished in a deepening and broadening of the types of beer we’ve extolled in the past. We found a 14%-ABV barrel-aged blend from Deschutes and Hair of the Dog that was gorgeously layered but surprisingly easy to drink, and a balanced Czech Pilsner from Live Oak Brewing that was wonderfully complex. We saw IPA's that took on new forms—but were still IPA's at heart—with cloudy, juicy and fruited versions landing among our favorites. And while brewers are still playing with fun, unusual and exciting ingredients in beer, this year we enjoyed the thoughtful flavor construction of their food-infused brews.
This was the year that the thrill of finding something novel was replaced by the delight of experiencing something expertly crafted. These 25 beers, all new or newly packaged in the last 12 months, are a testament to where beer is today and, we can only hope, where beer will continue to go.
WILD AMBITION
Brewers took novel and mindful approaches to yeast, barrels and ingredients in these sours, resulting in some of the most well-crafted beers we’ve ever tasted.
SpontanBasil
Brouwerij Lindemans/Mikkeller
Basil Lambic
This story is from the November - December 2016 edition of DRAFT Magazine.
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This story is from the November - December 2016 edition of DRAFT Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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