I was talking to a friend recently about Saison’s. It’s her favorite style of beer, and she can’t seem to find it at most breweries she visits. Liking the style of beer myself, I felt her disdain as most breweries seem to pigeonhole themselves into making the same styles of beer everyone’s making. I’ve written recently about how there is a plethora of good styles of beer being neglected by a lot of breweries. So I was very excited yesterday when I attended the soft opening of A Taproom and Perennial was offering a beer called Saison Lounge. If you’re willing to look, you can find the beer you like, but it does take effort.
I guess my point is it seems like everyone is drinking IPA’s, sours, and stouts when there are so many other styles of beer out there. I talk to a lot of people, and I get excited when somebody talks about something other than those three styles of beer because that’s what all the buzz seems to be about anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I like stouts, IPA’s, and sours as much as anyone. But as a beer writer, I appreciate nearly every style of beer, and it’s fun to drink things that are out of the norm. Besides the Saison, I also had an English bitter, another style of beer that I really appreciate. It was from Street-side, a Cincinnati brewery who are a mainstay at A Taproom.
I may have lost you if you have one style of beer and that’s all you drink. That’s OK, but the world of craft beer is a wide and diverse environment in which hundreds of styles of beer exist. The cool thing about going to a good beer bar or brewery is that you can try many styles of beer. As I get to travel throughout the country, I don’t always select the same style of beer because sometimes I just want to see what the brewery is doing. I like to see if they can make a porter or a red ale because these are great styles of beer. I appreciate and applaud breweries for continuing to brew excellent beer in every style that they think necessary.
So if you like a style of beer that you don’t see at a lot of breweries, do some research. Go out and find it because I guarantee somebody’s making it. I am out trying different styles of beer all the time, so I know where the good beer is, and I like to help others find it. Just because your local watering hole isn’t serving a style beer doesn’t mean you can’t get it, and that’s the beauty of visiting breweries because chances are somebody somewhere is making that beer, and I look forward to drinking it.
It’s Saturday night, and I have returned to A Taproom here in Indianapolis because my friend Kelly is tending bar. I’ve met some really cool people tonight and we’ve had some great discussion about beer. It only strengthens my argument to hear people talking about so many styles of beer. We have a lot to choose from, and that’s the beauty of craft beer!
So enjoy beer for the sake of it, and if you like a style of beer, keep drinking it because if you like it, chances are other people like it, and hopefully breweries keep making it. The magic of craft beer is there are so many styles out there, and there really is something for everyone. So have a pint, and if I see you somewhere, let’s have one together.
So Much Beer So Little Time 