Get Crafty in Alpharetta

by Kevin Smith Author

Humans have been brewing and drinking beer for millennia, but the current profusion of American “craft beer” has left many drinkers confused about what is so new about this brew. If you’ve been asking yourself, “where can I buy craft beer in Alpharetta?” Jax Fine Wine & Spirits is the place where the helpful staff can answer all of your questions.

The Brewers Association, the national organization representing American craft brewers, defines a craft brewery as:

· Small-annual production of fewer than 6 million barrels of beer

· Independent-less than 25% ownership/control by other than the craft brewery

· Traditional use of historic brewing ingredients and fermenting processes

Small, but Growing

Craft breweries share of all beer production in the United States has more than doubled over the last five years from 5.7% in 2011 to 12.3% in 2016. Of the 5,300 American breweries, over 5000 are craft breweries which produce the beer that accounts for nearly a quarter of total annual US beer sales.

Independent, but Allied

Craft breweries are small but communal, bound together by a shared passion and science. Often organized by region, craft brewers often share experiences, resources and form something of a brewer’s brotherhood.

Traditional, but Innovative

Craft brewers innovate by taking a traditional beer style and brewing it with an innovative, often singular, approach thereby creating new and unique brews. While the Brewers Association currently recognizes over 150 styles of beer, craft brewers keep generating new ideas and new brews that often mirror the legacy of a region and its people. It’s this unleashed creativity that makes craft beer so intriguing.

What do these small, independent, and innovative breweries produce?

Craft brewers produce beers in many styles, from light, fruity Weissbier to hoppy India Pale Ale to thick, dark Stout. Of course, not every brew is a success, but many of them are tasty brews. Unique and ever-evolving, the only way to get to know craft beer is to try it so if you’re looking at where can I buy craft beer in Alpharetta, start sampling:

· Ale: warm fermentation, sweet, full-bodied, no or little hops, runs from pale to dark

· Lager: cool fermentation, balanced blend, cold aging process, fruity flavor and aroma

· Wheat Beer/Weissbier/Belgian Ale/Saison: higher wheat to barley ratio, refreshing, light, clean taste. Often flavored with coriander, has the bittersweetness of orange peel

· Pale Ale: ale made with coke-roasted malt, bitter

· Porter: dark and solid but lighter than Stout, heavy malt structure

· Stout: rich, dark, complex, notes of chocolate, sturdy mouthfeel, sometimes smoky

Ingredients commonly used in craft beer include:

· Malt: Malt is made from barley and, less frequently, wheat, oats, and rye. Fire roasted to varying degree, the grain is soaked into a mash and is used as an enzymatic catalyst to convert starch into sugar. Burning different fuel (beech, oak, coal, etc.) imbues the malt with different flavors.

· Hops: The flowers of a climbing vine, hops are a flavoring and stabilizing agent in the brewing of beer. Hops impart bitterness along with floral or citrus flavors and aroma.

· Yeast: Natural fermentation agent.

· Common Additives: Cacao nibs, spices, citrus peel, juniper berries, elderberries, fruit extracts, fruit puree, chilies, oak, etc.