craft beer

The Cult of Craft Beer (Inside the Delicious New Trend)

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craft beer IPAThe craft beer boom is not just a passing trend. Craft beer drinkers are, if anything, becoming more passionate and numerous over time as more people get excited about how and where their beer is made.

Craft Beer by the Numbers

According to data collected by the Brewers Association, craft beer production and consumption is growing rapidly in the United States:
• In 2005, there were 991 brewpubs, 354 microbreweries and 55 regional craft breweries
• In 2014, there were 1,412 brewpubs, 1,871 microbreweries and 135 regional craft breweries
• Just between 2013 and 2014, the rate of growth of craft breweries (an average of the growth of the three categories) was 19.4%
• U.S. craft beer sales went up 17.6% in 2014, compared to just 0.5% of overall beer sales

So why is craft beer such a growing trend right now? Why are craft beer fans so enthusiastic? Here are just a few tasty reasons for craft beer’s rise in popularity.

Creativity

Beer lovers just aren’t satisfied with boring or mediocre beer anymore. They want to be surprised and delighted with new flavors and ideas. Craft breweries are creative and agile, and they are able to experiment to develop innovative beers.

Taste

Beer is becoming more like wine in how people taste and appreciate it. Craft beer enthusiasts want to learn about a beer’s ingredients and production process. They are interested in sampling and finding beers that match their personal preferences and pair well with a great meal.

Connection

Craft breweries are invested in both their customers and their communities, and that connection is important. Drinking a delicious craft beer is even better when it’s made by a company that uses local ingredients or supports local causes.

Collaboration

Within the craft beer industry, there is a great sense of camaraderie – the feeling that our collective success is important. Brewers are generous with their expertise, trying to help each other out and looking for opportunities to collaborate when possible. For example, Dogfish Head’s Rhizing Bines imperial IPA is a delicious East-Coast-West-Coast collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Beer

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craftbeer

How much do you know about your favorite beverage? Test your beer knowledge with these fun facts.

1. Beer is thousands of years old.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when beer was invented, but the first fermented drinks were probably created around the time cereal agriculture started – about 12,000 years ago

2. Drinking beer can help protect against high cholesterol.

Research shows that consuming alcohol, including beer, in moderation raises high-density lipoprotein or HDL (good cholesterol). It may also be helpful in preventing blood clots,   clogged arteries and Type 2 diabetes.

3. The average American adult drinks 27.6 gallons of beer a year.

But North Dakota residents are the country’s most enthusiastic beer drinkers, consuming 43.3 gallons per drinking age adult. New Hampshire, Montana, South Dakota and Vermont follow closely behind.

4. You can bathe in beer for healthier skin.

Why stop at drinking beer when you can immerse yourself in it? Beer spas in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic offer the chance to soak in your favorite malty beverage (and maybe drink a pint while you’re relaxing).

5. Beer contains the same antioxidant content as wine.

Both beverages have the same amount of antioxidants, though the types present are different.

6. Beer gives you brain power.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that women who drank moderately (beer, wine or spirits) had better cognitive function than non-drinkers.

7. Zythology is the study of beer.

What oenology is to wine, zythology is to beer. It focuses on the entire beer brewing process.

8. Prohibition in the U.S. lasted 13 years.

The 18th Amendment banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors and went into effect in 1920. In 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment and ended Prohibition.

9. The White House has its own craft beer.

President Obama is the first U.S. president to bring home brewing to the White House. The recipes for the White House Honey Ale and Honey Porter are available to the public.

10. A cicerone is a certified beer expert.

A Chicago brewer started the Cicerone Certification Program several years ago to train and validate beer experts similar to wine sommeliers.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Dogfish

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Green beer has become a tradition for St. Patrick’s Day celebration seekers. It is common to venture to the Irish pub to take part in the once a year festival of green. However, if you are looking for something more off-centered, we have a few St. Patty’s Day specials up our sleeve.

stpattydrinks

Specialty Drinks

You will not find green beer here! How about a baby Black-n-Tan to kick off the night served in a shot glass you can take home to remember the occasion. For those looking for a bit of green, the Angry Leprechaun Cocktail is a sweet cocktail served with rock candy. Of course, if shots and cocktails are not your preference, we will be pouring your favorite year-round drafts all day.

cornedbeefIrish Specials

Need another reason to stop in? Our menu has a few guest entrees. Pair your draft with a traditional Shepard’s pie with lamb or Corn Beef and Cabbage to go with your Angry Leprechaun. Even the Irish Beef Stew is making an appearance. Tender pieces of beef in a delicious broth will make you wish it was on the menu every day. If you are feeling less adventurous, we still have your favorite burgers and appetizers.

 

Craft Beer 101: Belgian-Style Ale

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Belgian-Style Ales

What is a Belgian-Style Beer?

Belgium has a very long history of brewing well-renowned beers. The Romans may have brought brewing to that part of Europe thousands of years ago, and many Belgian breweries can trace their roots back to the Middle Ages. So it’s no surprise that Belgian-style beers are still popular with beer lovers around the world.

It’s difficult to define a Belgian beer according to narrow characteristics because Belgium’s brewers are famous for their individuality and creativity within different styles.

But there are some common flavors and aromas you can look for in Belgian-style beers. Many Belgian beers will have a distinct spicy, herbal or fruity taste – light on hops but high in flavor.

What is a Belgian-Style Ale?

Belgian beers are primarily ales – not lagers. Ales are made with top-fermenting yeasts that ferment at warmer temperatures. Lagers are made with bottom-fermenting yeasts that ferment at cooler temperatures and require a longer time to mature.

Belgian-style ales come in many different variations, but some popular styles include:

  • Belgian white beers (witbier): Light, cloudy beers with a creamy, fruity flavor – often with strong coriander and orange notes
  • Dubbels: Different varieties of brown ales, often with caramel, spicy and malty flavors
  • Tripels: Bold, dense beers with a bit more bitterness, a golden color and hints of fruit, sweetness and spice
  • Lambics: Spontaneously fermented beers made from unmalted wheat, malted barley and aged hops, featuring a wide variety of flavors, from fruity to sour

Dogfish Head Belgian-Style Ales to Try

Raison d’Etre

This Belgian-style brown ale is complex and rich, brewed with beet sugar, raisins and Belgian-style yeast. It contains 8% alcohol by volume.

Namaste

Our Belgian-style white ale is bright, refreshing and impossible not to like. We made it as a tribute to our friends at 3 Fonteinen Brewery in Belgium, and it highlights flavors of orange, lemongrass and coriander.