What is widely interpreted as craft beer, evolved out of a microbrewing scene that started in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. From there it continued to spread to the corners of the world. The goal of craft beer is to produce flavour forward beers using traditional methods of brewing and traditional ingredients. Whilst some people would say that craft brewing is normally in reference to brewers that have opened in the last few decades, beer scholars and enthusiasts would argue that many of the oldest and most historical breweries found in Europe are in fact the original craft brewers. It is here that we at Craeft Masters started our search for the best craft beer, from some of the oldest craft brewers in Europe.
At the base of beer are just four ingredients: Water, Malt, Hops & Yeast. These four provide everything you need from gleaming, crisp pilsners to dark, dry stouts. Craft beer has shown how far we can go when it comes to new ingredients however, and this could include delicious brews with honey, raspberries or coffee for example.
This is a process whereby sugars are converted by yeast into alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat. Traditionally, the majority of these sugars are derived from malted barley, although other cereal sources and other forms of plant sugars may also be used. There are three types of fermentation in the world of brewing: top fermentation, bottom fermentation and spontaneous fermentation. The majority of all ales are brewed using warmer top fermenting yeast, whilst nearly all lagers are made using a cooler bottom fermenting yeast.
There are hundreds of beer styles in the world today, for example there are over ten pale ales to choose from. Whether it be an English Pale Ale, New Zealand Pale Ale or even a Milkshake Pale Ale, there are many styles to wade through in craft beer. Whilst the list of styles is always growing, the origins of these many craft beer styles came from this original list of thirteen: American Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, English Pale Ale, Stout, Porter, Wheat Beer, Sour Beer, Lager, Pilsner, Amber Ale, Brown Ale, Barleywine, and Belgian Ales.
The truth is, craft beer can taste like almost anything. It is you who is the one who gets to decipher the flavour codes, but here is a little detail on how this works.
All aromas are detected by your nose – citrus fruits, stone fruits, berries, wood, toast, vinegar, lavender, etc. So, take big sniffs, or a couple of short quick ones, and suck up all those lovely aromas. These aromas are coming from the ingredients, and the style will influence what is in the beer. If you like floral, herbal or fruity aromas, lean towards a Pilsner, Kölsch or Pale Ale for example. If you desire something more caramel, coffee or toasted, look at a Stout.
Taste is a mixture of five things: bitter, sweet, sour, salt and savoury. The last two rarely influence a beer very much. Most beers are either bitter or sweet, or a balance in between the two. As a rule, if you are looking for something delightfully bitter try the pale coloured beers, something sweeter can be found usually with beers of a darker nature.
Lastly in the flavour equation is texture. The beer you drink can be refreshing or mouth-filling. If you find a quick, clean finish to the beer every time you take a sip then you’re looking at refreshment personified. However, if you find roaming flavours pleasantly tickling your senses long after you’ve taken a taste, then this is mouth-filling satisfaction at its best.