The Audacity of Hops: History of America's Craft Beer Revolution | Explore Brewing Culture & Best Beer Pairings

This book follows the history of the craft beer revolution from the day that Fritz Maytag decided to buy the Anchor Brewery (to preserve his favorite beer), to others who felt that American beer needed more flavor and started their own small breweries. As well as others who had a good recipe for beer and contracted with other breweries to make their beer. How beer drinkers responded by buying this better tasting beer and eventually getting notice from the big brewers (who had previously only sold what they thought would sell).The narrative wanders across the country and elsewhere telling the stories of those who thought American beer was lacking in taste and what they did to improve their beer. How Fritz Maytag learned how to make consistently excellent beer . From Jack McAuliffe who put together New Albion Brewing in Sonoma, CA from scratch and labored night and day to brew and sell beer that was well-liked but could not keep the brewery open for long, to Paul Grossman and Ken Camusi, who founded Sierra Nevada Beer in Chico, CA (also from scratch) and managed to create a popular beer that was successful. Helping things along was Michael Lewis, professor of fermentation science at UC Davis (the only brewing professor in the west) who provided advice to beginning brewers.Then there were many others across the country who made the leap from home brewer to small breweries. While others like Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company, had a regional brewery make his beer under contract. (He had originally thought that a brewery needed a computer to keep track of records, only to be told that it was better have many customers before buying a computer. So he brewed up test batches and bottled them, then peddled the beer from restaurant to restaurant to get the customers.) The demand for his beer and availability of surplus brewing space at some breweries gave him the idea of contracting out the brewing while he took care of sales.There were so many people interested in this new style of beer that an annual gathering of beer fans was created, "The Great American Beer Festival," where small breweries and home brewers could show off their beers. A system of judging was developed where the best beer in a category would get a gold medal, runners-up silver and bronze medals. Breweries that won medals were encouraged to market their winning beers more than others so a better product could be produced. Beer drinkers really took to craft beers and drank less beer from big breweries, which led to the following reaction. Miller came out with "Lite" Beer (based on an European low-alcohol beer) which went over well. Soon every large brewery had a light beer, which took a chuck out of craft beer sales. Then some years later, the big breweries invested in their own craft breweries, figuring if you can't beat them, join them.