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Margaret Lo
12th April 2001, 18:03
Summer will be upon us soon, I hope. And as I look longingly at my barbecue grill, I think, hmm what microbrews shall I look up?

Now that I'm no longer in Boston, happy haven of many a beer, I'm starting a list of old favorites, maybe members will add some new brews.

The progenitor of the whole revival: Sam Adams.

Also: Pete's Wicked Ales.

In Vermont: Otter Creek and Magic Hat (No. 9 with a hint of apricot. sigh, not shipped to NJ)

M

srig
13th April 2001, 19:25
Wasatch Ale makes The Unofficial 2002 Amber Ale. It's hoppy with a wonderful lingering aftertaste. I also like their jab at corporate sponsorship. They took a lot of flack from the IOC for attempting to use the word "Olympics" in their first edition of this beer.

Earl Hartman
13th April 2001, 19:41
Margaret:

Where ae you keeping yourself now, if you are no longer in Boston?

I'm not sure Sam Adams can be given the credit for the microbrew revival. San Francisco Anchor Steam beer has been around for as long as I can remember.

The best stuff there is. Great label, too.

Joseph Svinth
17th April 2001, 06:46
I believe that all the beers listed above are technically super-premiums rather than microbrews. This definition is owed in large part to the quantities produced. Thus Redhook and Widmer Brothers used to be microbreweries, but since their acquisition by Anheuser-Busch, today they are probably better termed super-premiums. Doesn't make them any better or worse, it is simply a marketing definition. For some discussion of this, see http://hubris.engin.umich.edu:8080/Beer/Threads/HBD/1995/1888 .

The first brew pub in North America is supposed to be Grant's, in Yakima, which opened in 1981. Some early India Pale Ales included Anchor Liberty Ale (originally released as Our Special Ale in 1975) and Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (released 1983).

Finally, for a list of super-premiums with ratings that seem reasonable, try http://www.mindspring.com/~jlock/ratings3.html .

For a supermarket apricot ale, note that Pyramid sells one that is currently on sale for about the same price as Henry's.