Good Libations

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Great grapes make great wine WALTER CHANDOHA

Around the world, wine and beer are celebrated parts of many cultures, and these days, there’s more reason to celebrate than ever. Small breweries and wineries are thriving by crafting high quality, flavorful products. And with a growing number of breweries and wineries, it’s easier than ever before to find a wide variety of good wine and beer, including organic versions. As demand for organic products grows, more farmers are committing to producing grapes, barley and hops without chemical pesticides.

It’s all part of a renewed interest in local flavor and natural ingredients — so cheers to local and organic!

A Craft Beer Revolution

To understand what these changes mean for flavor, let’s start by considering microbrewed beer. Until recently, variety hasn’t been a feature of the American beer market, which is dominated by one style of beer. Budweiser, Coors and Miller are all American-style lagers, and the “lite” versions are American light lagers. But both styles of beer are especially light as beer goes, without much texture or depth of flavor.

In fact, as most beer lovers already know, there are dozens of official beer styles, all with distinctive colors, aromas, textures and flavors. And when brewing small batches of beer, brewers have the freedom to be creative. By contrast, many would say the mass-produced light lagers lack imagination. But there are a growing number of alternatives.

“It’s a great time to be a beer drinker in this country,” says Paul Gatza, director of the national Brewers Association. “There are over 1,400 breweries making beer today — 30 years ago there were 40. We’re in an age of exploration for people who enjoy flavorful beers.” Gatza explains that this trend started in the 1980s when many states began to relax legal restrictions on brewing and brewpubs sprang up across the country. “They really laid the educational groundwork that there are these styles out there, that the beer world is bigger than domestic light lager,” Gatza says.

The industry term for beer made by small breweries in a range of styles is “craft beer.” Gatza says that while all craft beer is growing fast, small regional microbreweries are growing even faster. He explains that flavor and variety are driving the industry, but people also choose local beer because it supports local businesses and addresses environmental concerns, such as the amount of energy consumed by transporting beer across the country.

As craft beer grows in popularity, Gatza says it’s becoming more widely available. “Wholesalers and retailers are starting to take notice.” Another good sign: Some of the most specialized beer is the most popular. Gatza says seasonal releases are some of the breweries’ best sellers.“The future bodes very well for even more exploration for the flavorful beer drinker,” Gatza says.