Beer brewing in Europe continues to be a serious traditional
business. For thousands of years, Europe has been a leader in
brewing this popular beverage. Many countries have perfected
distinctive beers; some are like mythological ambrosia.
Maintaining the quality of centuries-old recipes, many brewers
realise that their strength lies in maintaining tradition over
promoting innovation. Not to say there aren't several breweries
experimenting with new flavours, but mostly they leave the
newfangled risk-taking to the Americans. Why fix and change that
which is not broken?
To promote the preservation of European beer culture, several
countries have banded together to create organizations such as
the European Beer Consumers' Union (EBCU). This union was
founded in Bruges in 1990 with three founding members: Campaign
for Real Ale of Great Britain, Objectieve Bierproevers of
Belgium and PINT of the Netherlands. It sounds like a Monty
Pythonesque union with contrived names, but it is a legitimate
one with twelve countries as members: the above three, plus
Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
Finland and France.
Their aims are simple: preserve European beer culture, its
traditions, beer brewing and breweries; promote traditional
beers; support the consumption of traditional beers; and
represent European drinkers in a campaign for choice, quality
and value. This is not the only pro-quality beer organization in
Europe. Others include the Guinness 1759 Society, the British
Guild of Beer Writers, and the Brothers of Beer.
The continued production of traditional beers has added one
innovation to its traditional facade: beer tours. Beertrips.com,
founded in 1998, promotes many beer-tasting experiences in
countries like Belgium, France, England, Germany and Austria. If
you are interested in experiencing Germany's beers, for example,
there is a 10-day tour of Munich's Fruhlingsfest and Bavarian
Country Breweries. A personal favourite is the Brewers and
Distilleries of Scotland tour. Check the website for details.
Each country in Europe seems to have a beer type focus. In
Ireland, they continue to promote their stout beers. Stout is
thick and heavy, with an earthy, full-bodied taste. They sell
lagers and ales, but the focus and specialty is on beers like
Guinness. The Guinness brewery was bought and opened in 1759 in
Dublin, Ireland by Arthur Guinness. The original stout is strong
and bitter-tasting.
In Spain, lager is the most popular. Spanish lagers are a touch
stronger than other countries' lager offerings. Two of their
most popular beers are Especial and Extra. Especial is a pilsner
beer, quite light in colour and taste while Extra is a pale
lager.
Alas, until recently, Sweden had been a beer desert for decades.
Their people have choked and sputtered for more to slake their
thirst, all to no avail. Histrionics aside, it was the
rigidly-controlled regulations for beer brewing that depleted
this country's brewers. Since Sweden joined the European Union
in 1995, its regulations have grown more lax and the country has
transformed itself from a desert to a vibrant and diverse beer
culture. The industry in Sweden imports from many other
countries; this has inspired a search for their own beer
identity. How better to discover a beer identity than to try
many things to see what works for the people of the country?
In Holland, the industry continues to produce their own phylum
of beer: Bierbok. A good version of this type of beer is
difficult to produce. Bokbier is a 16th century beer from
Bavaria that has endured and been perfected. It is dark in
colour (red-brown to black), sweet on the tongue with a mixture
of bittersweet flavours, such as toffee, raisins, licorice,
coffee, and chocolate. These are not ingredients, but flavours.
It is a beer strong in alcohol with an alcohol percentage of
6.5% to 8%.
When applied to beer brewing, history and tradition are not
necessarily dusty, boring or dry like old history books or
documents. Thousands of years ago, beer was a product in
development; it was new and ever-changing. Beer brewing
traditions live on and interest drinkers because of the
exceptional tastes developed over centuries, not in spite of
history and tradition.
About the author:
Andrea Nichol is a contributing writer to Excalibur
Communications, the company that created The Beer Home Page -
Your Online Guide to Great Brew Pubs and Beer Labels. If you
would like to find the best breweries worldwide and discover the
world of beer, visit
http://www.thebeerhomepage.com
