While the culture of craft beers has had a strong hold out West for many years, the trend of local breweries has been slow to make it to the South. Fortunately, with the recent revision of liquor laws, Alabama has seen a rapid increase in craft breweries and taprooms opening for beer connoisseurs and newbies, alike.
With the launch of local brewery Druid City Brewing Company, many collegiettes are anxious to try new, locally made beers on tap at bars in Tuscaloosa. But if you’re anything like me and your first beer experience was a subpar mass produced can of Natural Light, you’re interested but also nervous about trying these specially crafted brews. Navigating the world of craft beers can be intimidating with all the varieties of brews, but with a little knowledge you can quickly find your drink of choice.
Microbreweries, craft breweries that make limited amounts of beer, act as the counterculture to U.S. mega beer companies such as Budweiser and Miller. Although the term was originally used to describe the size of the brewery, it has now come to include the culture of craft brewing—the alternative attitude and approach. These beers are not intended to be mass-produced, sold for cheap and consumed in large quantities at college keg parties. Rather, craft beers are brewed for high caliber taste and to celebrate the art of beer drinking.
Generally, beer styles fall into two broad, all-encompassing categories of ale and lager. The difference of the two is primarily the yeast used to brew the beer.
Ales
Often described as robust and hearty in flavor, ales typically have a higher alcohol content, and the beer coloring ranges from light to dark brown. Subcategories of ale beers (often seen on the bottle labels) include Wheat, Blonde and Golden, IPA (India Pale Ale), Porter, Stout, Belgian and Brown.
Lagers
Lagers, which tend to have a cleaner and smoother character to the beer, have a lower alcohol content and a paler color compared to ales. Popular subcategories of lagers include Bock, Oktoberfest, Schwarzbier and the popular American Style Lager. While lagers fall under the craft beer category just as equally as ales, the American Style Lager is a staple in North America and the official category for Budweiser, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, Red Stripe, Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, and Dos Equis Lager.
For those who have tried craft beer and enjoy it, Alabama now boasts 11 craft brewing businesses according to the Alabama Brewers Guild, allowing consumers to support local businesses and drink good beer. Below are a few of Alabama’s breweries worth checking out.
Druid City Brewing Company
A recent Tuscaloosa venture by owners Elliott Roberts and Bo Hicks, Druid City Brewing Company is located in the back of the CitiTrends building in the Parkview Shopping Center on 14th Street. While the building is strictly for brewing and does not currently offer a taproom, their beers are now available on tap at Wilhagan’s, Egan’s, The Alcove and The Downtown Pub, with plans to expand to more locations in the future. Their current flagship brews include a pale ale and wheat beer. The two owners have often described the wheat beer as a great, easy-to-drink summer beer, while the pale has a more hoppy taste similar to Sweetwater 420.
Avondale Brewing Company
Built in the historic Birmingham district of Avondale, the building housing the taproom and fermentation tanks of Avondale Brewing Company has been transformed over the years from a fire station, pharmacy, bank and brothel. Brothers Coby and Hunter Lake and brewmaster Craig Shaw now offer the Magic City, a venue for new tastes and good times. Their flagship beers are named after Avondale folklore and include the Spring Street Saison, Battlefield IPA, Streetcar Kolsh, Vanillaphant Porter, Miss Fancy’s Triple, and Long Branch Scottish. While each of their beers boast a unique taste, the Spring Street Saison ale was their original flagship brew, helping start the business. This ale remains true to its roots with a golden copper color, and has been described to have a rich, malty taste with hints of tropical fruits and spices.
Back Forty Beer Company
Located in a former Sears and Robebuck appliance repair center in Gadsden, Ala., Back Forty Beer Company boasts a variety of craft beers that are available at many grocery stores. Co-founders Jason Wilson and Zach Folmar teamed up with brewmaster Jamie Ray to begin their venture in brewing and bottling their own beer. The company’s name was inspired by the old agricultural term referring to the 40 acres of land furthest from the barn, known to be the most challenging to maintain. Similarly, the state of Alabama has often been referred to as the “back 40” of craft beer in the U.S. Their flagship beers include Naked Pig Pale Ale, Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale, Freckle Belly India Pale Ale and the Kudzu Porter. A personal favorite of mine, Truck Stop Honey is an English brown ale featuring Alabama Wildflower Honey, roasted malts and fresh hops. This beer has a medium bodied flavor and appeals to a variety of people.
Sources:
http://alabamabrewersguild.org/
http://www.druidcitybrewing.com/